The Darker Side of Me
by blackandblood
Summary: Takuya is the leader of a gang notorious for robbing houses. He and his friends figured they would find riches in the next house they targeted. But they never expected to find a missing girl being held captive in the basement. Revenge fic. Takumi
1. Chapter 1

**helloz dedicated takumi fanz. here is the first chapter of my latest story. its kinda twisted (not this particular chapter, but it will get more fucked up as the story goes on), but my stories usually are. read and review and tell me what you think.**

**The Darker Side of Me**

**Chapter 1**

Nineteen year-old Takuya Kanbara exhaled, blowing a thick stream of smoke in front of him.

"Dude, stop blowing smoke in my friggen face," his best friend Kouji complained.

Takuya shrugged. "Not my fault you decided to sit right across from me right after I lit my cigarette."

"Both of you shut up," Kouichi intercepted. "I'm trying to figure out which house should be our next target."

"Hey, shouldn't Takuya be the one to figure it out?" J.P. quipped. "I mean, he is the leader."

Takuya shot him a look. "If you want my opinion, I'm sick and tired of doing the shitty small houses we normally do. This time we go big."

The youngest member of the gang, sixteen year-old Tommy, stood up. "Well, how big are we talking?"

The brunette smirked, then tossed him a photograph.

Tommy's eyes widened. "Thomas Kingston? Are you freaking kidding me?"

"Takuya, the dude lives in a fucking mansion. How the hell are we supposed to pull that off?" Kouji looked at the picture, his brow furrowing.

"It's simple if you really think about it. The five of us can surround the area pretty easily. Just think of all the money and shit he'll have lying around." Takuya finished his cigarette, dropping the butt into an ashtray.

"How did we even decide to start rainsacking houses in the first place?" Kouichi rubbed his temples.

"Robbing a bank is too risky, as well as a store. At least a house is somewhat secure. We sneak in, and if the bastard wakes up, we'll tie him up and gag him. Then we leave with money, jewelry, electronics, all the good stuff."

"Doesn't he have some kind of security system?" J.P. asked, flopping down onto the couch next to Kouji.

Takuya shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips. "None whatsoever. He's one of those cocky assholes that thinks he can do everything himself. I've had my eye on Kingston's place for a few weeks now, so I've done my research."

Kouji raised an eyebrow. "Wow, I'm impressed. Usually you're too lazy for that kind of stuff."

"Screw you, man," Takuya said, popping a beer open. He took a long gulp, emptying half the bottle. "I decided that if we're ever gonna get anywhere, then I've gotta make better decisions."

"It's about time you got your head outta your ass," J.P. quipped. That comment earned him a smack upside his head.

"Just 'cause your my friend, doesn't mean I won't shoot you." Takuya finished his beer.

J.P. laughed somewhat nervously. "Yeah, good one."

The gogglehead pulled his gun out. "Try me. Make one more comment like that and see what happens."

"You wouldn't." J.P. gulped.

Takuya shrugged, clicking the safety off. He pointed it at his friend.

"Shit!" J.P. exclaimed, using Kouji as a shield.

Takuya burst of laughing. "Dude, you're a moron. I would never shoot you, no matter how much you might piss me off."

"Put me down!" Kouji shouted at J.P.

Their friend sulked. "I need a cigarette." He grabbed one, lighting it a second later.

Kouichi sighed. "So when are we doing this?"

"Tomorrow night. At midnight." Takuya took a swig from his second beer.

"Kinda sudden, don't you think?" Tommy asked.

"Yeah, but I know we can do it," their leader replied.

The others nodded, each grabbing a drink of their own. They drank in silence until J.P. turned the t.v. on, idly flicking through the channels. The batteries in the remote died a few seconds later, stopping at a news channel.

"Aw, crap. Does someone wanna get some new batteries? I'm too lazy to get up right now." J.P. took another drag off his cigarette.

"No," Kouji replied.

"Don't look at me," Takuya said.

J.P. shook his head. "Screw it."

They all sat there drinking their beers, watching the television drone. A moment later, a pretty red-haired newswoman came onto the screen.

_"The search continues for eighteen year-old Zoe Orimoto. She was reported missing two months ago, when she failed to come back to her dorm after a college party. She has not been seen since. If anyone has any information concerning Miss Orimoto's disappearance, please report it to the Tokyo police."_

A picture of the girl popped onto the screen. She was gorgeous, with long blond hair and emerald green eyes. For a second Takuya felt captivated by her beauty. He stared at the photograph, taking a good look at her.

"That sucks. Girl's probably dead by now," Kouji said nonchalantly. "I mean she's been missing for two friggen months."

"She's hot," J.P. pointed out.

Takuya didn't say anything, but nodded instead.

"Well, I'm beat." Tommy stood up and stretched his arms. "I'm heading to bed. See ya tomorrow afternoon when I finally drag myself outta bed."

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. News makes me tired," Kouichi quipped.

Kouji and J.P. got up as well. They were both rubbing their eyes.

"I'm gonna stay up a bit longer," Takuya said to no one in particular.

"Okay," Kouji replied, not really listening.

When the four of them were asleep, Takuya watched the last few minutes of the news. They showed the photograph of the girl one last time, then ended the program. A sitcom came onto the screen a few seconds later.

Takuya sighed. Normally he wouldn't care about a missing person, but this one was different. He didn't know what made that Orimoto girl so special, but she lingered in his mind. Switching the the t.v. off, he finished the last of his beer. Tomorrow was going to be a long night and they would have to be well rested to pull it off. He went to the room and plopped onto the bed. Rolling over, he let the darkness take over, allowing it to take him to a peaceful slumber.

**alrighty, that wraps up chapter one. kinda boring but it was needed as a sort of intro. trust me, the next chapter will be a tad more exciting. read and review pleeeeeeaaaaaaaaaasssssseeeeeeeee! see ya next time.**


	2. Chapter 2

**helloz, here is chapter two of my oh-so-(somewhat) exciting story. let's hope you don't die of suspense.....eh who am i kidding? of course you won't, you all have lives. :] enjoy. and of course review if you can. thanks you**

**The Darker Side of Me**

**Chapter 2**

She was panting, lying on the cold concrete floor. Her body was burning from all the fresh cuts and bruises he had left her with. Tears ran down her face as she struggled to sit up. She had to keep quiet however, or else dire consequences could arise. Especially tonight, when she may not have a chance like this again.

In his fit of rage, he had forgotten to lock the door. It was the one and only time he had been stupid enough to do it since she had been there. The girl listened quietly, waiting for the house to become completely silent. She held her breath, fearing that even the smallest noise would ruin everything. After waiting nearly half an hour in the freezing, pitch-black room, she decided to make her move.

She crept up the wooden steps, taking special care not to step onto the creaking ones. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she gently pushed the wooden door open. She listened carefully, afraid that her heart was pounding away loud enough to blow her cover. His snores could be heard down the hall, where his bedroom door was cracked open.

After a few moments of waiting, she made her way to the back door, which was the closest door to her. It was her best chance, so she decided to take it. It took every ounce of her strength not to whimper in fear, dreading what would happen if anything went wrong. Now was not the time to back out, however. This may be the only chance she would ever get, and she was not about to blow it. She swallowed, then gently unlocked the door. Within seconds, she had opened it and crept outside. It was almost twenty degrees warmer outside than it had been in the room she had been in. She closed the door, then began to softly run through the backyard. Her eyes scanned the house as she made her escape.

To her horror, she saw a light flick on inside. Almost screaming out loud, she began to run full speed towards the woods. In the distance she could hear the back door slam open and close and heavy footsteps approaching.

Shit! She tried to run faster, her heart nearly bursting out of her chest.

"You little bitch! Come back here!"

Suddenly a bullet wizzed past her head, lodging itself into a tree a few feet away. The girl cried out, tears streaming down her cheeks. She had to get away. Her legs felt as though they were on fire, but she refused to let that slow her down. In the dark, she struggled to jump over fallen logs, and dodge trees. No matter how fast she ran, she could still hear him getting closer and closer.

Another bullet flew past her, this one only a foot away from her head. His footsteps thudded eerily in the distance. She was in trouble. The bastard knew these woods a hell of a lot better than her, and he knew it, too.

The girl could hear his heavy breathing, warning of his quick approach. Another shot rang out. To her horror, this bullet had found a target. She screamed as the hot metal skimmed her calf, burning the soft skin. Her legs gave out and she flew forward, rolling down a small ditch. Gripping onto her wounded leg, she began to cry. He's going to fucking kill me, she thought to herself, panicking.

"There you are," a rather soft voice said. It was only a few feet away from her.

"You bastard," she cried out.

Her captor emerged, a smirk on his face. "Now, that wasn't very smart of you, now was it?" He picked the girl up, throwing her over his shoulder.

She began to beat her fists against his back. He didn't seem to notice as he carried her through the woods, back to the house.

"Let me go!" She struggled desperately. "Please, just let me go."

The man only continued forward, holding onto the back of her legs with one arm, and cradling his rifle in the other. Within a few minutes, they emerged from the woods. He started to walk towards the house.

In a final attempt to free herself, the girl slammed her elbow into the back of his neck. He cried out in pain, dropping her to the ground. She tried to scramble away from him, but he grabbed onto her ankle and began to drag her.

"NOOOOO! LET ME GO YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.

He continued to pull her along. "Scream all you want. Why do you think I built my house so isolated from any others?"

She tried to kick his arm away, but to no avail. He released her ankle a moment later, only to grip her around the waist. They were only about ten yards away from the house. She continued to scream as loud as she could, kicking violently as he pulled her closer to the door.

"Someone help me!" The girl cried out desperately. Tears were still coursing down her face in twin rivers, dripping onto her torn shirt. "Please!"

He opened the door and brought her inside. A moment later it slammed shut ominously. No one heard her tortured screams that night, leaving her at the mercy of that sadistic man. She prayed that someone would save her as he repeatedly pummeled his fists into her fragile body. No one came, and when he was done, he simply dragged her back into that cold room. This time he shackled the frightened girl to a metal pole and left her there, bloody, shivering, and whimpering. The dull light bulb went out, leaving her alone in the dark. She curled into a ball as best as she could, then cried herself to sleep. Someday she would get out. Hopefully at least.

**so.......how'd you like the chapter? :) anyway, let me know. chapter 3 is coming soon.**


	3. Chapter 3

**The Darker Side of Me**

**Chapter 3**

"You guys ready yet?"

"One sec."

"Well, hurry up. We gotta get going." Takuya pulled his black jacket on and zipped it. He slipped a switchblade into his right back pocket, then slid a few extra cartridges into the other pocket.

The others grabbed the last few things they needed, taking their own switchblades with them.

"All set," Kouichi said.

"Yeah, me too." Kouji finished putting a black bandana on his head.

Takuya looked at them and thought for a moment. "Do you have _everything_?"

"I think so," Tommy replied.

"Including these?" Takuya held up his pistol.

"Oh," the other four said stupidly, getting theirs.

Takuya shook his head, tucking his gun into the waist of his dark jeans. "Those are kinda important if we're doing a mansion. And make sure they're loaded."

"Shit, I need a cartridge in mine." J.P. fumbled around, looking for a spare.

"Here," Kouji said, handing him two. "You ready now?"

J.P. loaded his gun. "Yeah, I'm set."

"Okay," Takuya said. "Let's go. J.P., you drive there." He threw his friend the keys.

The five made their way to the black van they had redone a year ago. It fit them all pretty comfortably, as well as having a large space in the back to store things.

The twenty minute car drive seemed to fly by. Finally, Takuya told J.P. to stop.

"Okay, you stay here for now. The four of us are going to sneak into the house and when the coast is clear, I'll call you up. Then you'll drive the van into the driveway, wrapping around the house. This place is pretty isolated, but we don't want to take any risks."

J.P. nodded in understanding, watching his friends get out. "Call me if they're any problems."

"Alright. We should be all set within ten minutes. If you see anything suspicious, call us immediately." Takuya shut the door quietly.

The four friends began to sneak their way to the formidable mansion.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Tommy asked nervously.

Takuya nodded. "We got this. Trust me, the guy's a moron and a half."

His friends didn't seem too convinced, but continued to follow him. Finally, they got to the door. Takuya quickly picked the lock, having it open in a matter of seconds. The others raised their eyebrows. Maybe the guy was as stupid as Takuya said. The gogglehead slipped inside, looking around. All was silent in the large, dark house. He signalled for the others to follow. Tiptoeing down the hallway, they faintly heard snoring coming from one of the rooms.

Takuya smirked. "I think we found Kingston." He made his way to the door, pulling his gun out from behind him.

"I thought you said we would only go after him if he woke up," Tommy said nervously.

Kouichi looked at the boy. "He's bound to wake up with all the noise we'll be making later. We might as well just get it done and over with so he can't surprise us."

"Only way he would stay asleep is if he was doped up on sleeping pills and alcohol," Kouji added.

Takuya whistled nonchalantly, kicking the door open all the way.

"What the fuck?!" A man sat up in his bed. He appeared to be in his late twenties to early thirties, with wavy strawberry-blond hair and cerulean eyes. His chest was bare and Takuya only hoped he was at least wearing shorts.

"Come on, get up." He pointed his gun at him. "Hurry up. I don't have all night."

The man slid out of bed. Luckily he was wearing sweatpants. "What is the meaning of this? Who the hell are you?!"

"Out the door," Takuya replied, ushering him out.

Thomas Kingston went into the hallway, noticing the three others. His face was red with fury. "Get out of my house right now, or I'll call the police!"

Kouji laughed. "With four guys pointing their guns at you, do you really think that would be a good idea?"

Kingston glared at him, while Takuya led him into the grand living room. The room was funished with a dark mahogany fireplace, with a matching sofa and loveseat. A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling and glimmered. Thick red carpets covered the floor, with long crimson drapes hanging over the windows. A tall bookcase completely covered one of the walls, filled with dusty and unopened books.

"Nice place you got here," Kouji quipped, pulling a wooden chair into the room.

Kingston was pushed into the chair, his arms being pulled behind him.

"I don't believe this," he muttered as they tied him to the chair.

His ankles were bound to the legs, while another rope was secured around his chest and over the back of the chair.

Takuya tucked his gun back into his jeans. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed a number. "J.P., it's all clear. Pull around to the back." He hung up, dropping it back into his pocket.

"Untie me, you little bastards! Right this instant!" Kingston's face was blood red and he was shaking.

"Whoa, calm down, man." Kouichi smirked. "We won't be here too long."

Kingston continued to yell. "A man with my power can have a bunch of little assholes like you disappear off the face of the earth! Do you hear me?!"

Takuya briskly smacked him across the face, glaring at him. "Shut up. I know you're type. You're the type of person who has had everything handed to him in life by daddy, never having to work a day in your entire life. All you had to do was keep your mouth shut and wait for daddy to die so that you could have your stupid inheritance. After of course, he bought you your own mansion. You've done nothing for yourself and are worthless, no matter how much money your old man left you."

"You don't know anything about me!" Kingston shouted.

"Either shut the hell up, or I won't hesitate to slit your throat." Takuya pulled his switchblade out, pushing the button to release the blade.

Kingston eyed the blade, a his face fearful.

Takuya smiled. "That's better." He put his knife away.

Tommy walked up a moment later, a roll of duct tape in his hand. He ripped off a piece and shoved it onto Kingston's mouth. The blond man was angrily jerking in his seat.

"He ain't going anywhere," Kouji said.

A moment later J.P. walked into the room. "Van's out back. I opened it and laid the ramp down in case we have to wheel any of the stuff."

"Good," Takuya said. "This place is huge, so everyone split up. Take whatever you can find whether it's cash, jewelry, computers, stereos, anything of value."

The others nodded in agreement, then took off.

Takuya glanced at Kingston and smirked. "Don't you be running off anywhere," he mocked. "See you in a little while."

He left the angry rich man writhing in his seat, screaming from under the duct tape. He was cursing them, but of course, they wouldn't have been able to tell.

**chapter 3 is done. kinda boring, but these boring chapters are needed to put everything in place. trust me as the story goes on, there'll have more action and you won't fall asleep halfway through. review if you want, but dont worry cuz i know this chapter was boring. so whatever........**


	4. Chapter 4

**here is chapter 4 of my story. enjoy!**

**The Darker Side of Me**

**Chapter 4**

The mansion had three floors, each containing at least ten large rooms.

They decided to split up. Kouji and Kouichi went to the third floor, Tommy and J.P. searched the second floor, and Takuya stayed on the first floor.

"Gather everything you find that's of value, then bring everything down to the first floor so that you don't have to make multiple trips," Takuya had told them. "I'll stay on this floor just in case rich boy tries to pull anything."

He was now exploring the rooms, taking whatever suited his fancy. In one of the drawers he found a thick envelope containing wads of hundred dollar bills.

"Jackpot." He smiled, slipping the envelope into his pocket.

There didn't seem to be anything else worth taking, so he went to the next room. An hour later, the five friends met back on the main floor. There was a huge pile of Kingston's belongings near the grand staircase.

There were boxes of jewelry, laptops, stereos, speakers, television sets, digital cameras, and even a few cell phones. Kouji and Tommy were also holding envelopes similar to the one Takuya had found.

"Kouichi, what do you have that for?" Takuya asked incredulously, eyeing the painting his friend was holding.

"Do you have any idea how much this painting is worth?" Kouichi asked.

The others shook their heads.

Kouichi sighed. "To put it in terms you would understand, it's worth _a lot_."

"Oohh....."

They could hear Kingston angrily mumbling through the tape covering his mouth.

Takuya chuckled. "Better go check on our friend." He walked into the living room, and looked at the blond man with an amused smile.

Kingston cursed at him, the words muffled.

The brunette pulled the envelope out and showed it to him. "Look familiar?"

The man's eyes widened. "You bastard!" Although they couldn't hear it clearly, they were intelligent enought to understand what he was saying.

"Come on, let's start loading up the van."

It would take them quite a few trips, but it was well worth it. On the way to the second trip, Kouji noticed a door to the side.

"Takuya, did you check that one yet?" He asked.

Takuya looked at it and frowned. "No, I guess I missed that one. Didn't even notice it. I'll check it when we're done loading up the van."

Ten minutes later, the back of the automobile was crammed with Kingston's expensive belongings. They smiled to each other, walking back into the mansion.

"Alright, be right back. Go make yourselves comfortable while I check it out," Takuya said.

"I know where I'm going. Friggen starving." J.P. walked over to the large chrome fridge and began to rummage through it.

"Not a bad idea," Tommy said, following his large friend.

Kouji and Kouichi sat on a stool and began to pour themselves a drink from the bar.

Takuya walked over to the door, then noticed a padlock on it.

"Hang on a sec." He began to look through the kitchen drawers, hoping to find a key. "Be right back."

A moment later, he was back in the living room. Kingston was glaring at him with supreme hatred.

Takuya rudely pulled the tape off his mouth. "Where's the key?"

"Fuck you!" His mouth was sore.

"The key to that door near the back, with the padlock on it. Where is it?" Takuya asked.

Kingston tried to spit on him. "I'm not telling you nothing!"

Takuya pulled the gun out from the small of his back and smacked him upside the head with it. "I'm gonna ask you again. Where is the key? And by the way, if you try to spit on me again, I'll shoot you. And then I'll just break the door. Take your pick."

Kingston hesitated for a moment, then relented. "Top drawer in the desk. It's in a small box."

Takuya smiled. "Thanks. I knew you'd see it my way."

"Screw you," Kingston muttered.

A minute later, Takuya was heading back towards the door, the key ready in his hand.

"Dude may be an asshole, but he has good taste." J.P. was munching on a plate of pizza rolls.

He brought the heaping plate over to his friends.

Takuya popped a few in his mouth, savoring the hot cheesy filling. "Note to self, grab a big package of these later....." He wiped his mouth. "Alright, I'm gonna check that room out."

He unlocked it, then pushed it open. Immediately, he felt a chill over him.

"Fucking freezing down here," he muttered, descending the creaking wooden steps.

Takuya saw a switch on the wall and flicked it on. A dull light bulb lit up, barely illuminating even a few feet around it. As he went down the last few steps, an eerie feeling went through him. He looked around the barren room, trying to make out its surroundings.

A soft whimper came from one of the dark corners of the room. Takuya jumped at the sound, his heart quickening a beat. He squinted to see what it was, but was unable to make anything out. The bulb flickering, he nervously went over and screwed it into its socket more tightly. The light was brighter, and now gave Takuya a decent view of the room. He gasped when he saw what was making that noise.

**ah! the cliffhangers again. you guys probably hate me by now for doing this in my stories constantly. but hey, i don't get many viewers and hopefully this will keep the people who are nice enough to take the time to read this a reason to stay tuned till the next chapter. chapter 5 will be out soon anyway, so the wait shouldn't be too bad. but until next time, read and review! bye ;]**


	5. Chapter 5

**alright, here's when the story starts to get more exciting hope you like it**

**The Darker Side of Me**

**Chapter 5**

In the far corner on the right of the room was a figure sitting slouched over.

Takuya cautiously ventured over to the corner. As he got closer, he realized that it was a girl. Her head was cast down, her blond hair falling into her face. Takuya could see that her arms were behind her back, the wrists clamped together by a shackle.

"Holy shit! Are you okay?" He knelt beside her.

The girl began to sob. "Please, get me out of here!"

Takuya tried to unfasten her shackle. Her skin was ice cold and covered with goosebumps. He heard a click and a moment later the metal unlocked. The girl fell forward, her body shaking.

Takuya pulled his jacket off and placed it over her. He swept her into his arms a moment later.

"Come on, let's get you outta here." The brunette began to ascend the steps.

Finally the girl looked up at him for the first time. To his amazement, she was the same girl he had seen on the news. Zoe Orimoto.

"How did you find me?"

"I'll explain later. Let's just get you warmed up."

A second later he emerged out of the room. His friends turned to face him, their jaws dropping when they saw the girl.

"What the hell?" Kouji rubbed his head, confused.

"J.P., can you drag one of those chairs from the other room into here?" Takuya asked.

J.P. nodded, then fetched one of the large plush chairs his friend was referring to.

Takuya sat her down onto it. Zoe was still shaking. Beside's Takuya's jacket, the only thing she was wearing was a baby blue cut-off tank top and short white shorts. She also had on a pair of white sneakers. Her long blond hair was a little dirty-looking from being in that dusty room. Multiple cuts, bruises, and scratches covered her arms and legs. There was a long scratch across her flat stomach, and criss-crossed cuts on her back, as if she had been whipped. Other than a small bruise on her right cheek, her face seemed clear of any damage.

"What the fuck did he do to you?" Takuya asked, horrified.

Zoe shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "Where is he?"

Kouji smirked. "He's kinda tied up at the moment."

She gave him a confused look. "You mean literally?"

"Yup," Kouichi said proudly.

"And you tied him up because........?"

Takuya rubbed the back of his neck and smiled. "Well.......we kinda broke in to rainsack his house and steal his shit. So we obviously had to keep him restrained."

Zoe looked down at the floor. "How long are you gonna be here?"

"We were planning on leaving soon," J.P. replied. "Probably wouldn't be a smart idea to stick around."

Suddenly, a bright flash ignited the sky, followed by a deafening boom of thunder.

"Great." Takuya looked out the window as the rain began to pour down. "Just fucking great. At this rate the roads will be too flooded for us to get home."

"Didn't you check the weather last night?" Tommy asked Takuya.

The brunette thought for a moment, then regretfully shook his head.

Kouji smacked his forehead. "You idiot........."

"Shut up. How was I was supposed to know?"

"Um, check the forecast on the t.v."

Before Takuya and Kouji could break out into an arguement, Kouichi interrupted. "Whatever, it doesn't matter now. We're just gonna hafta stay here tonight. Luckily, I don't think anyone will stop by in this weather, so we should be okay on that aspect."

Zoe shuddered. "I really don't want to spend another night in the same house as that freak."

"How long have you been here?" Tommy asked.

"Two months," she said dully.

"Well, with us here, I don't think he'll be able to pull anything," J.P. pointed out.

"I don't put anything past that bastard. He'll do something the second he gets the opportunity." Zoe looked at them. "Just be careful when you deal with him. Last time I pulled something, I got this." She moved her leg, showing them the wound from the bullet.

"Shit!" Their eyes widened.

"Yeah."

Takuya shook his head. "We'll just have to take shifts during the night. Not only do we have to keep an eye on that asshole, but we also have to make sure no one else shows up. Yeah, it may be pouring, but there are people stupid enought to travel in this weather."

The others nodded in agreement.

"I'll take the first shift, and you guys can go to sleep," Takuya said.

"I'm taking a shower. I can't stand it anymore," Zoe replied.

"Alright."

A few minutes later, everyone was helping themselves to guest rooms.

"Too bad we took all the television sets and laptops out of the rooms," Kouji said glumly. "Could've gone for some entertainment tonight."

"Eh, quit whining. At least we don't have to sleep on the floor," Kouichi said from across the hall.

After everyone has chosen a room, Takuya headed to the living room, where a tied up Kingston was still sitting. Kingston was beginning to doze off by the looks of it. Zoe wandered into the room, stopping in her tracks when she saw the man. Her face immediately filled with fear, and she backed up a step.

"It's okay, he's tied up." Takuya pointed out.

Kingston looked up and his and Zoe's eyes met. His eyes bore into hers, laughing at her. Taunting her. Zoe immediately fled out of the room, then sank down onto the floor in the hall.

Takuya followed her and crouched by her side. "You okay?"

"No, I'm not." Tears were streaming down her face. "For two fucking months all he did was torture me. Even when he's tied to a chair, he's still laughing at what he's done to me. I'm surprised I haven't had a mental breakdown yet."

"I'm sorry what he did to you, and I know that it can't be taken back," Takuya said softly. "But I know something that will make you feel better."

She looked at him, confused. "What?"

Takuya smiled, helping her up. "Come with me." Still holding onto her hand, he guided her back into the room.

Zoe looked down, not wanting to see the man.

"Zoe, look at him."

The girl slowly raised her head, her gaze meeting that of her captor's.

"Good. Now, smack him across the face," Takuya said. "Smack him good and hard. Make him feel some pain for once."

Kingston's eyes burned into her, challenging her. Zoe's face turned pale, and she dropped her gaze once again.

"Hit him. He deserves it. Make him feel how you felt."

Zoe's face filled with anger and she looked at Kingston again. He seemed to be mocking her, thinking he was better than her. Zoe suddenly struck him across the face with all her might. Kingston's head went to the side, an angry red handprint showing up on his face.

"Alright! You did it," Takuya said proudly.

The blond didn't reply, but hit the man yet again, on the other cheek. Then again. And again.

Takuya watched in amusement as the girl pummeled Kingston. He wasn't about to stop her, it was kind of entertaining. Soon, the man's face was completely red from all the blows. Zoe panted, then sank to the floor, exhausted.

"I'm taking a shower," she said, catching her breath.

"Take your time," the brunette replied.

A minute later, Zoe stood, getting ready to leave. Before she left, however, she decided to do one more thing. She slammed her fist down into Kingston's crotch. His eyes bulged as he screamed through the tape, his body convulsing. Takuya broke out into laughter as Zoe left. The bastard was definitely going to feel that one in the morning.

**alrighty then, chapter 5 is done. hope you liked it. chapter 6 coming soon**


	6. Chapter 6

**The Darker Side of Me**

**Chapter 6**

Zoe stood in the shower, letting the steaming hot water spray her. It stung her cuts and scrapes like alcohol, the pain almost bringing her to her knees. The water mixed in with the tears running down her cheeks. She turned the water on even hotter, noticing her skin reddening with each passing minute. It didn't matter to her. No matter how boiling hot it was, she still wouldn't feel completely clean. She vigorously scrubbed her sensitive skin with body wash, irritating it even more. Finally, after nearly half an hour, she emerged.

The blond stared at herself in front of the full-length mirror, examining herself. At least the cuts were cleaned out better, she thought. Now hopefully she wouldn't die of a fucking infection. Luckily, Zoe had been able to find some women's clothes in one of the rooms. Whether they belonged to a girlfriend of Kingston's, she didn't care at this point. She pulled on a lavender tank top, with a pair of matching panties. A pair of white sweatpants with a lavender stripe going down each leg covered her bruised legs. She put on a pair of white socks, then rolled up her pant leg. Zoe carefully swabbed the bullet wound with rubbing alcohol, nearly screaming as it burned her. She covered it with gauze, then taped it in place.

"Zoe?" Takuya was on the other side of the door. "You okay in there?"

"I'm fine," she replied. "Be out in a sec."

"Okay."

Zoe combed her now clean hair, the damp strands clinging to back of her shirt. She left the bathroom and went to join Takuya.

The gogglehead was idly drawing on Thomas Kingston's face with a black magic marker. He had drawn a mustache, goatee, bushy eyebrows, and the word 'DUMBASS' on the man's forehead. Kingston was squirming in his seat angrily, yelling at Takuya through the tape on his mouth.

Zoe stopped in her tracks and stared.

"Like my artwork?" Takuya turned to face her, a smile lighting up his face.

His smile sent a small blush onto Zoe's cheek, but it wasn't noticable with her face already red from the shower.

Takuya raised an eyebrow. "What happened to you?"

Zoe sat on the floor next to him. "I haven't had a shower in the longest time, so I figured that now was the time to give myself a good cleaning. Last time I had a 'shower', this asshole sprayed me with ice cold water from a hose. Then threw me into a freezing room." She was glaring at Kingston, her emerald eyes sending daggers at him.

Takuya looked at her. "He really fucked with you big time, didn't he?"

Zoe nodded. "Last night I _almost _got away. Emphasize on the word 'almost'."

The brunette sank down beside her, but not before giving the chair a kick. Kingston crashed onto the floor with a thud, screaming as the chair crushed his hands beneath him. Takuya pretended not to notice.

The blond looked at him and smirked. "But don't worry. I plan on getting my revenge before I leave."

Takuya nodded in understanding. "That's cool. I would too if it had been me. So, I bet you can't wait to tell your family and friends that you're alive."

"Nah, I don't think that'll be happening." Zoe brushed some hair out of her face and tucked it behind an ear.

"Why not?"

"Family's dead, and I don't really have any friends," she said dully. "My parents died in a car crash when I was ten. My grandparents were already dead by the time of the accident, and I don't have any aunts or uncles. And, like my parents, I'm an only child."

"Well........you have to have _some _friends. I mean, I saw your story on the news, and it said you were reported by friends after you didn't return from a party."

Zoe gave a humorless laugh. "Yeah, those so-called friends only liked to hang around with me because of the money my parents left me in their will. After their deaths, nearly a quarter of a million dollars was put into an account for me. My parents' lawyer made all of the arrangements so that I wouldn't be left to rot. He was a good friend of theirs, so at least he was around to help me at that point. But anyway, yeah, they only wanted me around to buy them shit. And of course, being lonely and desperate, I put up with it. I went to the party to see if I could meet new people, but that didn't work out."

Takuya didn't know exactly what to say at that point.

The blond continued, not noticing that he was a loss for words. "And I only received the money a few months ago, because I wasn't allowed to have it until my eighteenth birthday. Not that I even wanted it in the first place," she said bitterly. "But all of a sudden, everyone was just dying to hang out with me."

"So.......after your parents died, who did you stay with?" Takuya finally asked.

"For the first five months I lived with John, the lawyer I was talking about." She sighed. "But then John's marriage started to fall apart and after he and his wife divorced, he went into a depression and had to be admitted into an institution. I still visit him from time to time to check up on him. Even though it's been eight years, he did so much for me after my parents were gone. And then for the rest of the time I stayed with another family friend, Maya."

"To be honest with you, I'm kinda surprised you opened up to me like that. Usually people think I'm too stupid to hold up a conversation," Takuya quipped.

Zoe looked at him, serious. "You know, even though I don't know you from a hole in the wall, there seems like there's something different about you from everyone else. Nothing bad, of course. On the contrary, you seem like the nicest person I've met in a long time."

Takuya smirked. "How do you know that?"

"I don't know, but when I talk to you, I don't feel like you're downing me for not being like everyone else," she said.

"Why? Everyone else has a stick up their asses nowadays. Especially him." He jerked his head in Kingston's direction.

The blond man seemed to have tired himself out, for he was no longer writhing.

"You might want to get to bed," Takuya said.

"I don't mind taking a shift," she protested.

The gogglehead wouldn't hear it. "No. You are going to bed and that's final. After everything you've been through, do you honestly think I'm going to let you take a shift? No, so go to bed. I'll see you in the morning."

Zoe pouted, but nodded.

She looks cute when she pouts, he thought to himself. Hell, she's cute in general.

"Night, Takuya." She stood up.

"Night."

Zoe looked at Kingston's fallen body, then gave him a brisk kick in the side. "Night, asshole."

Kingston groaned, cursing the girl.

Takuya laughed and watched her leave. A moment later he plopped himself onto the couch, ignoring the sound of Kingston's racket. Only two more hours until he could go to bed.

"Shut up," he said to Kingston.

The man continued to bitch through his gag, trying to somehow get off the floor. Takuya sighed. This was going to be a long night.

**chapter 6 is done. the next one will probably be out in a day or so. i already have an idea for my next fic for all you sick minded freaks (like me) but i'll finish this one first cuz i don't want to do two fics at once and get myself confused. stay tuned. and r and r if you have the time. byez takumi lovers**


	7. Chapter 7

**hello! chapter 7 is finished so i hope you like it. and in case you're wondering how i update so fast, its because half the time i have nothing better to do ^_^**

**The Darker Side of Me**

**Chapter 7**

Zoe tossed and turned in her bed, the image of Kingston running through her mind like a wildfire. Finally, she sat up, her skin breaking out into a cold sweat. She couldn't sleep knowing that bastard was in the other room. It didn't matter that he was tied up, or drawn on, or getting kicked around. He wasn't suffering like she had. She had been beaten and abused almost to the brink of death on a few occasions, and he had the nerve to bitch about being tied to a chair. Her emerald eyes darkened a shade and she slowly rose out of her bed.

The blond quietly crept her way down the dark hallway, daring not to make a sound. She entered the room and noticed that it was J.P.'s shift. The large boy had passed out, for he was snoring loudly. Takuya had made a comment earlier about J.P. being a moron and not knowing anything that was going on around him when he was tired. Zoe wondered if that was true. Only one way to find out. Kingston was sleeping as well, still on the floor with his face covered in marker.

Zoe shook J.P. awake. "Hey, it's my shift now. You can go to bed."

"Wha? Oh....okay........" J.P. shuffled out of the room, his eyes closed. He was practically sleepwalking.

Zoe smiled to herself and turned to face Kingston. The other guys' rooms were a good distance away, so she at least had some time before they woke up. The girl struggled to sit the fallen chair upright again. Kingston awoke, feeling a movement int he chair's position. After a few exhausting minutes, she finally managed to stand it up. She sank to the floor, panting.

The man looked at her with a mixture of confusion and hate.

"So, would you like me to untie you?" Zoe asked softly.

Kingston vehemently nodded. He wanted out of this godforsaken seat.

"Do you think you've suffered enough?"

He grunted through the tape, pulling at his restraints.

"Are you sure about that?" The girl asked innocently.

Kingston began to curse her, his voice muffled. He was getting annoyed by now.

Zoe's eyes bore into his. "Well, I don't think you have."

She walked over to the doorway and pushed the heavy doors shut. They were usually kept open, but she didn't want any of the guys to hear.

Kingston watched her as she made her way over to the desk and pulled a box out of the bottom drawer. She set it on top of the desk, opening it. Zoe nonchalantly began to pull various items out and placed them around the box for him to see. There was leather whip, a chain, scalpels, alcohol, lighters, a short thick metal pipe, and finally a handgun.

Zoe picked up the whip and made her way over to him.

"I'm not the type of person who would normally hurt someone else," she said in a low voice. "But for you, I'll make an exception."

She struck him across his bare chest with the whip, leaving a long welt. Kingston shrieked through his gag, feeling the pain burn into him.

"What's the matter? Does it hurt? Do you feel the same pain that I felt? Huh?" She cracked the whip again, leaving another welt diagonally through the other one.

As he struggled to free himself, Zoe could feel a pang of guilt flow through her. She quickly pushed the thought away, however. He deserved everything that was coming to him. The blond discarded the whip in exchange for the bottle of rubbing alcohol.

"Don't want you to get an infection, now do we?" She poured it directly onto his sliced body, watching as he screamed.

Kingston was crying, tears running down his face, causing the marker to smear. Zoe tried her best to ignore him, continuing to pour a thin stream of it onto him. After a few more seconds, she capped the bottle and threw it aside.

The man was hyperventalating, his body covered in a layer of sweat.

Zoe grabbed the metal pipe and slammed it down into his arm. Kingston screamed as she repeated it to his other arm and legs. She didn't hit him hard enough to break anything, but within minutes large dark bruised formed on his skin. Zoe hit him in the shoulders, chest and back as well.

"I won't hit you in the head with this," Zoe said. "You have enough brain damage as is, so I'll at least leave that alone."

She took one of the lighters and made her way to him. Kingston watched with a panicked look on his face. He screamed again, the sound mostly muffled.

_In the kitchen_

"Fucking hungry." Takuya sleepily rummaged through the fridge, then found himself a carton of chicken fingers. As he ate, he noticed someone sleeping at the kitchen table.

"J.P.! What the hell are you doing? It's still your shift." Takuya walked over to his friend.

J.P. yawned and stretched. There was a half-eaten pizza in front of him. "No, it's not."

"Yeah, it is. You still have another hour before Kouji takes over for you."

"Really?" He looked at the clock, confused. "Well, someone came in and told me that it was their shift."

Takuya slitted his eyes. "_Someone_?! Did you fall asleep?"

J.P. nodded sheepishly. "Yeah, I guess I did."

"Well, was it Kouji?" Takuya asked.

J.P. thought for a moment, then shook his head. "No, now that I think about it, I think it was that Zoe girl."

"Zoe? Shit!" Takuya took off to the living room, leaving a puzzled J.P. behind.

_In the living room_

Zoe dropped the lighter, examining her work. She had steared clear of the alcohol on his chest, and had concentrated on his arms and legs. Kingston was covered in burn marks. They weren't too serious, but they were incredibly painful. Zoe picked up a scalpel.

Kingston screamed as she approached him. Zoe went to slit him across the throat, when her arm froze in mid-air. She looked at him, her arm shaking. Kingston was panting, terror flooding out of his big eyes.

Tears welled in Zoe's eyes. She couldn't make herself do it.

Suddenly Takuya burst into the room. He gasped as he saw Zoe holding the scalpel a few inches away from Kingston. The blond looked at him, defeated. She dropped her weapon and fell to her knees, sobbing. Takuya rushed to her side, rudely kicking the man's chair out of the way. Once again, Kingston was lying on the floor.

"I couldn't do it," Zoe sobbed as Takuya pulled her into his arms. "With all the shit he did to me, I still couldn't do it."

Takuya brushed her hair out of her face and looked at Kingston's injured body. "Well, you definitely did something."

**yay chapter 7 is up. zoe kinda got her revenge. yay for that. and seriously, if that happened to me, i would kill the person, but i didn't want zoe to do it cuz im not done with the story and zoe's not really like that (at least not in this story) r and r see ya soon with chapter 8**


	8. Chapter 8

**The Darker Side of Me**

**Chapter 8**

Kouji, Kouichi, Tommy and J.P. ran into the room to see Takuya holding a crying Zoe in his arms.

"What the hell happened to him?" Kouji asked, taking a glance at Kingston.

Takuya ignored him, trying to calm the blond down. The scalpel was on the floor a few feet away from them, glimmering.

"Did you do this?" J.P. asked Takuya.

"No, I did." Zoe wiped her eyes. "He had it coming to him."

Takuya helped her up. "You gonna be alright?"

She sighed. "Yeah, I'm going to bed for real this time."

Without saying another word, she quickly left the room. The others stared at the doorway, then looked at each other, confused.

"What happened?" Kouichi asked.

Takuya shrugged. "I don't know. I came into the room to see Zoe standing in front of him with a scalpel. Then she dropped it and started to cry." He yanked the tape off Kingston's mouth.

"That fucking bitch! Look what she did to me! I'll fucking kill her-" Kingston started to cough, nearly hacking his lungs out.

"Oh, shut up. You're lucky she stopped when she did," Takuya said coldly. "But just because she didn't finish, doesn't mean that I won't."

Tommy looked at him strangely. "You're not gonna kill him........are you?"

Takuya shrugged. "Maybe I will. Maybe I won't. Let's see what happens."

Kouji gave Kingston a funny look. "Did Zoe draw on his face before she beat the shit outta him?"

"No, that was actually me," Takuya said, an amused smile spreading across his face.

"Nice artwork," Kouichi commented.

"Thank you, if I do say so myself. And J.P., I think it's still your shift," Takuya pointed out.

"Nah, I'll do it," Kouji said. "Can't sleep anyway. Besides he's just gonna fall asleep again anyway."

"Hey!" J.P. shouted. "No, I won't."

"Yeah, you will."

Kouichi sighed. "Will you two shut up already? Jeez. Kouji will keep watch, then I'll take over after him. In the meantime, let's just go back to bed."

The others nodded in agreement and headed to bed.

Before going to his room, Takuya went to check on Zoe. She seemed to be sleeping soundly, a tiny smile on her face. Takuya went to his own room and finally went to sleep. Even with the thunder and lightning, he didn't wake up until the next morning.

_The next morning_

Tommy nudged him awake. "Takuya, get up. It's almost ten."

Takuya groaned and rolled over, not realizing how close to the edge of the bed he was. He crashed to the floor with a loud thud.

"I'm awake!" He exclaimed, disoriented.

"Umm......okay........." Tommy sweatdropped.

Takuya stood up. "Damn, I'm so friggen tired it's not even funny."

"Yeah, well, last night was kinda weird," Tommy said.

"Who's shift is it anyway?" Takuya asked.

"It's mine, but everyone else is already up, so it kind of doesn't matter at this point. Well, everyone's awake except Zoe. We decided to let her sleep as long as she has to."

Takuya nodded. "Good. How's the rain letting up?"

Tommy sighed. "Still pouring out. We might be stuck here for a little while longer."

The two friends left the bedroom and began to make their way to the living room. Kouji, Kouichi, and J.P. were already sitting in there, all with disgusted looks on their faces. Kingston had a new piece of duct tape covering his mouth again.

"What's up with you guys?" Takuya asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Take a big whiff and you can tell us," Kouji said.

Takuya sniffed the air, his face scrunching up. "Ugh! Damn, what the fuck is that smell?"

"Him." Kouichi jerked his head in Kingston's direction.

Takuya noticed a large wet spot on the floor, and also on Kingston's sweatpants.

"Dude, he pissed himself?" Takuya asked.

"Well, it's not like we gave him access to a bathroom or anything," J.P. pointed out. He was spraying a can of air freshener.

Kingston looked angry and embarrassed at the same time. His chest was blood red from the alcohol on his welts.

"Didn't really think of that," Takuya said. "Too bad, he can sit in it."

"So now what?" Tommy looked out the window, watching the rain pour down.

"Only thing we can do," Kouji said. "We wait."

"This sucks," Takuya grumbled.

"No shit, sherlock."

"Knock it off!" Kouichi rubbed his throbbing temples. "I'm not in the mood to hear you morons bickering."

"Morons?!" Takuya and Kouji shouted in unision.

J.P. stood up. "Shut up already. Okay? We'll just wait for the rain to let up a little bit, then we can get the hell outta here."

The two quieted down.

"I'm gonna check on Zoe," Takuya said a moment later. "You know, just to make sure she's okay."

Kouji was about to make a comment, when his twin shot him a warning look. The boy in the bandana kept his mouth shut and only nodded.

The gogglehead made his way to Zoe's bedroom and cracked the door open. Zoe was sitting in front of the large window, staring outside. She turned her head to see Takuya in the doorway.

"Sorry for not knocking. I didn't want to bother you in case you were sleeping," Takuya said apologetically.

Zoe offered him a smile. "It's okay. I don't mind."

"Good, seeing how I'm already here," Takuya quipped. He sat down beside her.

"So, how's our 'friend' doing?" She asked.

Takuya chuckled. "He ended up pissing himself. J.P.'s in the process of spraying the room down as we speak."

"Eh, he deserved it."

"He's none too happy about it now. I think I even saw Tommy starting to draw something else on his face while I was leaving the room." Takuya shifted, sitting closer to the blond.

Zoe sighed. She felt so tired and worn-out. Her body ached with pains that made her want to curl up and pass out all over again. Without thinking, she rested her head on Takuya's shoulder.

Takuya blushed. He could feel her soft hair brush up against his neck. Zoe realized what she was doing, jerking her head back.

"Sorry," she said, her face turning red. "Be right back."

Before Takuya could say anything, she ran into the bathroom adjoined to the bedroom and closed the door.

Takuya sighed, resting his head on the wall. What was coming over him?

**finally done with chapter 8. i hit a writer's block, but now i'm good. hope you like this. read and review pleaseeeeee bye ^_^**


	9. Chapter 9

**The Darker Side of Me**

**Chapter 9**

Zoe splashed cold water into her face, trying to clear her head. She sighed, and examined herself in the mirror. For a moment she almost couldn't recognize the girl staring back at her. Even with everything she had been through in her life, she had managed to remain somewhat strong. Her reflection looked weak, tired, and most of all, defeated.

"Zoe? You alright?" Takuya asked from outside the door.

The blond didn't reply. She continued to stare at the lie in front of her. My entire life, all I've done was kid myself, she thought bitterly. She didn't know who she was anymore. Hell, she wasn't even sure if she had ever know who she was. After every dismal path she had gone down, there was an even darker nightmare waiting for her at the end. Watching her struggle, suffering constantly.

"Zoe?"

She could feel her hands shaking, and gripped onto the counter. "I'm fine," she said dully.

Zoe felt as though there was nothing for her in this world. Sure, she could go back to college, pretend to be everyone's bitch. She could graduate, get into a profession, get a degree, find a job, and live her life. But for what purpose? Her family was gone, she had no friends that actually saw any value in her besides her wallet, and she didn't even know what she wanted to do with her life. There was a hollowness in her heart, and no matter what she had tried to do to fill that hole, it continued to eat away at her soul. She almost felt like a shell of her former self. The little girl who had died along with her parents that fateful night eight years ago. That part of her was long gone.

She could here Takuya try to open the knob. "Zoe? Come on out."

Without another thought, she forcefully punched the mirror in front of her. The glass shattered, its shards raining down onto the floor.

"Hey! Open the door! Zoe!"

Zoe picked up one of the larger shards and held out her wrist. She stared down at the creamy flesh, knowing that with just one cut, she could end it all. End the pain, the suffering, and the emptiness.

Takuya tackled the door as hard as he could and came flying into the room a moment later. He threw himself on top of her, slamming her to the floor. The piece of glass flew out of her hand and landed in the bathtub, where it shattered into smaller pieces.

"What the hell is the matter with you?" Takuya yelled, pinning her arms to the floor.

"Get off of me!" Zoe struggled to push him off, writhing her body beneath his.

Takuya was too strong for her, however, and easily held her down. "No! What the fuck were you gonna do with that glass?!"

"What did it look like I was gonna do?!" She screamed, her emerald eyes filling with tears. "Takuya, there's _nothing _in this life for me. I'm sick and tired of everything, and I just want to finally end it."

The brunette loosened his grip on her slightly, but still tight enough where she couldn't get up. "What do you mean you have _nothing _in life? You can go back to college, and get into some type of profession-"

She cut him off. "Don't you get it? I can go back to college, yes. But for what reason? To be everyone's bitch? For people to only pretend to like me just for their own benefit? To try to guess what I want to do in the future, only to find out that I'm more miserable than ever? No. I've had it. I'm not dealing with this anymore."

Takuya got off and stared down at her, speechless.

Zoe sat up, the tears finally escaping from behind her closed eyelids. "I wish it was that easy. I really do. I'm not the type to just give up like this. But I can't handle any more pain in my life. I feel as though even if I do try to work it out, I'm still going to eventually have a mental breakdown."

"Come on," Takuya said, pulling her up. He guided her back to the room and sat her down on the bed.

"Takuya, I feel like I'm gonna lose it. It's getting to point where if I don't hurt myself........I'm going to hurt someone else."

"Zoe.....I know that it's hard. I haven't had the easiest life myself. Why do you think I started doing what I've been doing? I dropped out of school, then started a gang. It wasn't the most intelligent thing to do, but I did it anyway. Why? Because I didn't give a flying fuck anymore. Most of my life I got shitted on, like you. One too many people screwed me over for the last time, so I decided to do the same to others. I would steal from them, hurt them, and, in some instances, kill them." Takuya looked down, somewhat ashamed. "I can't say I'm proud of what I do, but it's too late for me to turn my life around at this point."

Zoe was about to put her hand on Takuya's shoulder, when he suddenly grabbed her wrist.

"Zoe, you're bleeding!"

She looked down, noticing blood trickling from her hand. Bits of glass were sticking out of her skin.

"Dammit, stay here." Takuya went into the bathroom to retrieve a first aid kit from the cabinet.

He sat back down and took her hand. One by one, he pulled out the pieces of glass with a pair of tweezers. Zoe flinched in pain, but managed not to jerk her hand away. A few minutes later, after all the glass had been removed, Takuya dabbed her cuts with peroxide. It didn't outright sting, but it left a slight burning sensation as it seeped down into her cuts. Takuya put some gauze on her hand, taking extra care to properly cover her knuckles as well.

Zoe sighed, flexing her fingers softly.

Takuya stared into her eyes. "Look, I know life sucks at this point, and you don't know me all that well. But I'll do everything I can to help you through this. Okay?"

The blond stared at him and swallowed. "Alright."

Takuya smiled. "Come on. Let's go see if Tommy added anything to my artwork on that bastard's face."

"Okay," she replied, allowing him to take her hand.

As he led her into the hallway, Zoe cast one last glance into the bathroom. The tiled floor was littered with glass and drops of blood. She sighed and gripped onto Takuya's hand tighter.

**yay! what did you think of chapter 9? well, hoped you liked it. stay tuned for chapter 10 coming to a theater near you...........well......maybe not a theater. i only have a budget of 11 dollars and 37 cents so no one would sign me over. oh, well. someday you'll all see! or so i hope......bye ^_^**


	10. Chapter 10

**The Darker Side of Me**

**Chapter 10**

"What have you crazy kids been up to?" Kouji asked, watching Takuya and Zoe enter the room.

"Nothing much. How's the spraying going?" Takuya asked.

Kouichi sighed. "J.P. went through an entire can. He's looking for another one right now."

Zoe wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Yeah, I see what you mean," she said.

"Well, the rain looks like it's letting up a bit," Tommy chimed in. He was still looking out the window.

"About friggen time," Takuya grumbled. "If we're here for much longer, I feel like I'm gonna go nuts."

"Join the club." Kouji rested his arms behind his head, then noticed Zoe's bandaged hand. "What happened to you?"

"Umm....I had a small accident." She looked down, ashamed.

Kouji decided to drop the subject. "So, should we rip the tape off his mouth for now?"

Takuya considered it for a moment, then nodded. "Sure, why not?"

Kouichi was the closest to Kingston, so he yanked it off forcefully.

"OW! Dammit, stop fucking doing that!" Kingston complained. "And if you were decent people, then you would untie me and at least let me clean myself up."

"Never claimed to be decent people," Takuya retorted.

"I can tell," Kingston spat out. "You're just a group of nobodys. No one cares about you because you're nothing but worthless scum. And you always will be."

Takuya pulled his pistol out of his jeans and smacked the man upside the head with it. "Say something again. I dare ya." He clicked the safety off.

"You won't shoot me. You're too weak. Too stupid." Kingston had a cruel smile on his thin lips.

Takuya's chocolate eyes darkened a shade. He pressed the barrel into the side of Kingston's head. "Really. If you want to find out, then be my guest. It's your call."

The blond man swallowed nervously and broke out into a sweat. "You're bluffing."

"Am I?" His finger pressed down slightly on the trigger. "Just a little further and your head blows off."

"Get away from me, you psycho!" Kingston writhed in his seat.

Just then Takuya pulled the triggered, causing Kingston to scream. Everyone in the room jumped, their eyes wide. A moment later, they realized that the bastard's head was still perfectly intact.

"What the fuck?!" Kingston asked, his body shaking violently.

Takuya smirked. "Forgot to tell you that the gun's not loaded. That was just a blank."

"You bastard!" Kingston glared at him, his cerulean eyes sending daggers.

"Yeah, that was fun." Takuya chuckled, then put a new magazine into the gun, loading it for real this time. "Next time you won't be so lucky."

A moment later J.P. walked into the room with a can of aerosol and plate of mozzerella sticks. "Uhhh........did I miss something?"

"Takuya pretended to shoot the asshole in the head," Kouji replied.

"Oh, what else is new?" J.P. plopped down onto one of the couches. He continued to spray the room once again while cramming a few sticks into his mouth.

Takuya fanned the air. "Ease up a bit on the spray. The smell of air freshener can be just as bad as piss after awhile if you overdo it."

Kouichi raised an eyebrow. "I think I'd rather deal with the air freshener than the piss."

"Yeah, but I kinda see what he's getting at," Tommy added. "Overbearing flower scents can make you nauseous in a matter of seconds."

"So can piss!" J.P. exclaimed.

Zoe watched them as they argued. They fought over the stupidest things sometimes. However, it must have been nice to have good friends like that, no matter how many times they bickered.

"I'll be right back. I'm gonna go get something to eat," Zoe said.

"I'll go with you. If I try to eat off of J.P.'s plate, he'll bite my hand off," Takuya quipped.

"No, I won't!" J.P. crammed three more mozzerella sticks into his mouth.

Takuya only shook his head and began to make his way to the kitchen, Zoe following close behind.

Kouichi looked over to his brother and frowned. "What are you doing?"

Kouji was wiping Kingston's face clean with a damp rag. "I feel like drawing and I need a fresh slate."

"Knock it off! I'm not a fucking easel!" Kingston was trying to jerk his head away.

"You are now." Kouji pulled out a blue marker and began to doodle.

"Stop it, you stupid bastard!"

"Call me stupid again and see what happens," Kouji said, a bored expression on his face.

His twin smirked. "Kouji, you do realize that the marker you're holding is permanant, right?"

Kouji looked at it. "So it is. Oh, well." He continued to draw once again.

"PERMANANT?! STOP IT!"

"Let me know when you're done," J.P. said, finishing his plate. "Maybe I'll draw an ass on his face."

"You'll pay for this!" Kingston continued his pathetic attempt to get away.

_In the kitchen_

Zoe watched as Takuya rummaged through the fridge. "So, any idea what you want to eat?"

"To be honest with you, I'm not even hungry. I'm still uncomfortable to be in the same room as him," she responded, her head cast down.

"Zoe, you need to eat something. You're already undernourished as is, so just please, eat something." He looked at her pleadingly.

She relented. "Okay. Whatever you want to eat, I'll have."

Takuya settled for a package of fried chicken, along with a bag of french fries. "Damn, this guy lives off of frozen stuff."

Zoe shrugged. "He probably can't cook."

"Hell, he doesn't even seem intelligent enough to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich." Takuya popped the chicken into the microwave.

Zoe grabbed two cans of coke out of the fridge and handed one to Takuya.

"Thanks," he said, taking a long gulp.

The blond nodded, then began to look through the cabinets.

"What are you looking for?"

"Aspirin or something. My head is throbbing like hell." Zoe found a bottle, then swallowed two pills.

Ten minutes later, the food was ready. Takuya ate ravenously, scarfing down an entire plate in less than a minute.

"Sorry," he said, smiling sheepishly. "Guess I'm hungrier than I thought."

"Hey, get your fill. You made enough for ten people, so you might as well pig out."

Takuya got another plate. "Hey, you said that you would try to eat something. So eat."

Zoe slowly ate the chicken, her stomach churning. It wasn't so much that it was the actual food that was upsetting her stomach, but more so the aspect of it. A moment later, she put her piece of chicken down.

"I can't eat. I know that it won't stay down." Zoe rubbed her head. "I'm really not feeling good. Maybe I should go lay down for a half hour or something."

Takuya looked concern, but didn't object. "Okay, but call me if you need anything."

Zoe gave him a weak smile. "I will." With that, she hurried off.

The brunette sighed, eating his food. He hoped that she would be okay. In fact, he prayed.

**okay, im done with this chapter. this story is longer than i anticipated that it would be. but i'm not gonna rush to get it done or anything. i want to put my effort into it, even if it takes another ten chapters (it won't, but i'm just saying......) anyway, r and r ^_^**


	11. Chapter 11

**The Darker Side of Me**

**Chapter 11**

Zoe sank down onto her bed, curling into a tight ball. Her head was suddenly screaming in pain, and she could feel it penetrate deep into her skull.

"Oww..." She held onto her head. Her vision was beginning to blur.

A few minutes later, she felt herself begin to drift into sleep. However, instead of a dream creeping into her mind, a dark memory reared its ugly head. To her dismay, she could feel it taking over her, driving her into a nightmarish slumber. The darkness took over her completely.

_The room was pitch black, her bones chilling from the low temperature. She was wearing only a sports bra and a pair of panties. Her arms were chained above her head, to the metal pipe in the ceiling. Shivering, she could hear him slowly descending the stairs. Her breath caught in her throat as he got closer to her. He flicked the switch on, illuminating the dull lightbulb._

_Thomas Kingston slowly approached her, a thin smile on his lips. Zoe began to cry, letting the hot tears run down her face._

_"Please, let me go. I'll do anything you want. Just please, let me go home." She helplessly pulled at her chains. Pleading was useless at this point, but she didn't know what else to do._

_"I'm sorry, but we both know that I can't do that," he replied softly. _

_He walked over to an old decrepit wooden table. Spread over the top were various items, instruments of torture. Zoe's heart pounded as her frightened eyes scanned over the objects. She saw knives, scalpels, needles, nails, and razor blades. There were also whips, chains, gags, and blindfolds. Kingston liked to keep heavy blunt objects around as well, ranging from thick metal pipes, hammers, and wrenches. He always had at least two guns lying around also._

_Zoe sobbed as he shoved one of the gags into her mouth, fastening it around the back of her head. Her back was facing him while he decided on his weapon of choice. She tried to crane her head to see what he had, only to have it forced back forward._

_"Don't turn around," he hissed, his hot breath making her skin crawl. _

_Zoe whimpered, hyperventalating. A moment later she felt a whip strike her across the back. She screamed through her gag, feeling an open welt form on her bare skin. Her sports bra offered little protection, for the skin beneath it turned white from the blow._

_Kingston struck her again, another welt criss-crossing through the other one. Her back felt as though it was on fire, the pain seeping deep within her body. She continued to scream as he repeatedly whipped her, her cries of agony heard by no one else. Finally, Kingston dropped the leather device onto the floor. He examined her back, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. Zoe's back was horribly cut up, and blood was dripping from her wounds at a steady pace. She had also be hit in the stomach a few times as well, large welts swelling up on her creamy skin._

_"That wasn't too bad, now was it?" Kingston asked. _

_Zoe glared at him, her emerald eyes filled with rage. She watched him as he picked up one of the knives. Slowly, he approached her, the blade glistening. Zoe desperately yanked at her chains, her heart nearly stopping. He pressed the blade up against the skin on her shoulder._

_"No!"_

_Just as he was about to slice her, she screamed._

Zoe suddenly bolted awake, her body covered in a cold sweat. She was panting and couldn't stop shaking. Her heart was racing.

"What the fuck," she muttered to herself.

After she calmed herself down, she decided to go wash up. However, as soon as she got off the bed, she collapsed to the floor.

"Ow....dammit.....so I guess I'll just lay here for now...." Her skin was burning, especially her forehead. "Please don't tell me that I have a fever....or the fact that I'm talking to myself........"

A few minutes later, she mustered up the strength to crawl to bathroom, where she immediately threw up in the toilet. When she had finished, she dragged herself up to rinse her mouth out. Zoe looked in the mirror, noticing how sick she looked. She had dark bags under her eyes, her face looked flushed, and her skin was clammy. For a moment, she considered calling to Takuya, but decided against it. He had already done more than enough for her. Besides, she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. She rummaged through the cabinet and took a few ibuprofen. Moaning, she shuffled to her bed, where she laid onto it. She buried heself beneath the covers and fell back to sleep, this time, thankfully, without any memories or nightmares.

_In Takuya's room_

Takuya had told the guys that he needed some time alone, to which they complied. He sat in his room, playing with his cell phone. With nothing really to do, he tossed it aside. He too was having memories from his past. As much as it pained him to think about them, he couldn't stop.

_"Takuya, come here!"_

_Twelve year-old Takuya came into the living room, an eyebrow raised incredulously. "I see that you're home from your two week long 'trip'. Have fun?" He asked sarcastically._

_"Don't get smart with me," his mother snapped. "And there's someone I'd like you to meet."_

_A tall man walked into the room a moment later. His greasy black hair was tied into a ponytail, and a cigarette dangled from his mouth. He didn't say anything, but simply continued to smoke, his eyes scanning over Takuya._

_"Who's this guy?" Takuya asked. "Another guy you randomly picked up at the bar?"_

_"Hey, that's no way to talk to your father!" His mother yelled. She grabbed a cigarette for herself and lit it._

_Takuya's eyes narrowed. "Father? What the hell are you talking about?"_

_She took a drag. "While I was on my vacation, Bud and I met at a casino and hit it off. Two days later, we got married in a wedding chapel."_

_"Are you crazy?! You deserted me for two weeks, went to a casino, got drunk, then married the first guy you talked to?! What the hell, mom?!" Takuya was furious._

_"Don't talk to your mother like that!" The man, Bud, shouted._

_Takuya ignored him. "You know, you're unbelievable. I'm going to Kouji's. Bye."_

_His mother grabbed his arm. "No, you're staying here. I'm your mother, so you have to listen to me!"_

_Takuya yanked his arm away. "You may be my mother biologically, but Kouji's mom is more of a mom to me than you'll ever be. Go get drunk and pass out. I'll see you in the morning." With that he sprinted off to his best friend's house. _

_"Takuya! Come back here this instant!"_

_The brunette continued to run. He didn't look back._

Takuya sighed. "Better go check on Zoe," he said to himself.

However, she did say that she would call him if she needed anything, and the last thing he wanted to come off as was desperate. He decided to wait a little while longer. Takuya rolled onto his stomach and dozed off. In the other room his friends were having a bit of fun with Kingston......

**finally, chapter 11 is done. wonder what stupid thing the guys are up to now......find out in the next chapter! r and r. bye bye**


	12. Chapter 12

**alright, i decided to take a little break from the fucked up stuff, so this chapter is leaning more towards the funnier and goofier side. sick freaks out there, don't fear. the usual mood will pick up again in the next chapter. i hope you guys like it. im not the greatest at comedy, but hopefully this didn't come out too bad. read and review ^_^ **

**The Darker Side of Me**

**Chapter 12**

"Fucking bored," J.P. muttered.

Kouji glanced over at him. "So, then go do something to entertain yourself."

"But that's the thing. I don't know what to do."

"Go eat something," Tommy offered.

J.P. shook his head. "Not hungry anymore."

"Then go run around the house, tubby!" Kingston was even more pissed off than earlier, seeing how now his entire face was covered in permanant marker.

"I'm not tubby, I'm big-boned. So shut up," J.P. snapped. "Besides, I don't have the motivation."

"You know, you must really be a dumbass for constantly insulting us," Kouichi said to Kingston.

Kingston glared at him. "Screw you!"

"Wanna throw some darts?" Kouji asked.

"Sure, why not?" J.P. picked up a handful. "Where's the target?"

"Right in front of you," Kouji replied.

"Hey! I'm not a target!" Kingston yelled.

Kouichi put some padding onto Kingston's chest. "You are now."

"What are you doing that for?" Tommy asked.

"I don't know about you, but I'm not in the mood to play with darts covered in blood," he replied.

Everyone agreed.

"This is ridiculous! Knock it off!" Kingston was trying to escape once again.

J.P. ignored him and threw the first dart.

"OW! That hurt, you bastard!"

"Eh, relax. You have padding on. It won't kill you." J.P. aimed the second one.

"Besides, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger," Kouji chimed in.

"Hey, look what I found," Kouichi said, holding up a large bottle of vodka.

Tommy frowned slightly. "Where'd you get that?"

"He pulled it outta his ass," Kouji quipped.

Kouichi shot him a look. "Ha ha. Very funny. But no, I got it right off the shelf."

"Funny how we never noticed it before," J.P. commented.

Kouichi had a red marker as well. He drew a bullseye on the padding. "If we miss, then we have to take a shot."

"Miss the bullseye, or the target in general?" Kouji asked.

"If you dare hit me, you'll be sorry!" Kingston shouted.

They looked at each other. "The bullseye," they said unanimously.

"That way we're more likely to have to take a shot," Kouichi added.

"I don't believe this....." Kingston muttered. "I don't FUCKING believe this!"

J.P. took his turn first. He missed the bullseye all three times.

"Take your shots, man," Kouji said.

J.P. took his three shots, the liquid burning its way down his esophagus. "Damn......that was good."

Kouich went next. He hit the target once, so he only had to take two shots. He downed his, then handed Tommy the darts. Tommy also hit it once and took two shots. Kouji was last. He ended up hitting the bullseye all three times.

"Dammit....I'm taking three shots anyway. It's no fun if I don't." Kouji down three shot glasses, savoring the alcohol.

"Okay, round two. J.P., you're up again," Tommy said.

Ten minutes later the four of them were stumbling around, bumping into each other. All of them had at least taken eight shots and they were definitely feeling the effects right now.

"Duuuuuudeee, you're my bestest friend in the whoooole wiiiide worlds..." Kouichi slurred. "You know that? My bestest friend......where am I?"

"Wow, that's crazy......" Kouji replied, nearly tripping.

"Why? Am I you're bestest friend too?" Kouichi's eyes were closed and he was smiling, stumbling around.

"No..........but maybe if you make me a sandwich, we'll talk." Kouji hiccuped.

Tommy and J.P. were drunkenly running around Kingston. "Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall, ninety-nine bottles of beer! You take one down and pass it around, ninety-eight bottles of beer on the wall."

"Noooo guys......we had vodka. Not beer. Vodka. You know, the clear stuff in that big bottle." Kouichi tripped over a chair.

"I need to sit." J.P. plopped down onto Kingston's lap.

"Get off of me, you big oaf!" Kingston yelled at him.

"Oh, shit. My bad." J.P. shakily got up. "Damn, didn't know there were two Kingstons."

"No, there's four," Tommy said, walking around in a circle. "There are also three Koujis and four Kouichis, and two of you."

"Ha! There are more Kouichis than there are Koujis!" Kouichi bragged. "That's cuz you didn't say I was your bestest friend."

Kouji hiccuped again. "Yeah, cuz you're my bestest BROTHER."

"Wow? Really? Let me give you a hug." Kouichi clumsily ran over, but missed Kouji and ran into a wall instead. "Ow...that hurts."

"Eleventy-seven bottles of vodka on the wall, eleventy-seven bottles of vodka! You take one down and then get shit-faced. Eleventy-six bottles of vodka on the wall," J.P. sang.

"Wow, I forgot that eleventy is a number. I forget every time I get sober. Thanks, J.P. You're a good friend.....so can you make me sandwich? Ever since Kouji mentioned it, I'm craving one." Tommy swayed a bit, holding onto a shelf.

J.P. smiled, his eyes unfocused. "Okay."

He went over to the bookcase and grabbed two books. A moment later he took some white-out and smeared it over one of them. "I hope you like peanut butter. There's no jelly."

"No, I've gots the jelly." Kouji ran over with a bottle of glue. He squirted it onto the other book. "There's we go....."

Kingston shook his head. "Idiots........"

"Thanks guys!" Tommy examined it, then crammed it into Kingston's face. "Wanna bite? You must be hungry....."

"Get it out of my face, you little moron!" The blond man shouted.

"Did I do something wrong?" Tommy asked, a concerned and dizzy look on his face.

Kouichi shook his head. "Nooo.......this guy's just being _ungrateful_. That's good quality sandwich."

"Stop it!" Kingston complained, as the four of them tried to get him to take a bite.

"Wonder what Takuya's up to....." J.P. sat down.

"Get off my lap and get that stupid thing out of my face!"

"Oh, sorry." J.P. laid on the floor a few feet away and passed out.

Kouji grabbed a marker. "Yay......a new easel." He made his way to J.P.'s unconscious body.

"Make sure it's not permanant," Kouichi reminded him. "And this guy doesn't want the samwich. Samwich. Ha, I just created a new word."

Tommy forgot about the 'sandwich' and discarded it. He leaned up against Kouichi and tried to climb onto his back.

"What are you doing?" Kouichi asked.

"Piggy-back." A moment later he collapsed and passed out, lightly snoring.

Kouichi shrugged and made his way to his twin, accidentally knocking Kingston's chair over once again. He seemed not to notice. "Let me know when you're finished, 'kay?"

"Okaaaaaaay."

"Get me off this damn floor," Kingston bitched, though he knew perfectly well that it wasn't going to happen. "Stupid drunks."

**alright, that wraps up this chapter. i hope you liked it. a little bit of a change from the usual, but it was fun to do. read and review :] and yes, i purposely screwed up the grammer cuz they're drunk. though i do know some people that talk better when they're drunk.....**


	13. Chapter 13

**The Darker Side of Me**

**Chapter 13**

Takuya woke up an hour later, his body a little stiff from the position he had slept in. He heaved himself up and stretched. Making his way to the bathroom, he sleepily scratched the back of his head. He rinsed his face with cold water, then dried it off with a small towel.

"Better go check up on Zoe," he said to himself.

He walked down the long corrider that led to her room. A moment later he came to the closed door.

"Zoe?" He knocked on the door softly.

There was no answer. He pressed his ear against the mahogany wood, trying to see if he could hear anything. All was silent within the bedroom.

She's probably sleeping, he thought to himself. Better go check on her just in case.

Takuya quietly twisted the knob, then entered the room. He partially closed the door behind him.

Zoe was lying under the covers, her blond hair strewn across the pillow. Even from where he stood, Takuya could see that her skin was unusually pale. Zoe's breathing was somewhat shallow and her eyes were fused shut from a restless slumber.

Takuya went over to her and sat on her bed beside her. He placed his hand on her forehead, almost jerking it back immediately. Her forehead felt as though it was on fire, and her skin was clammy. Zoe moaned in her sleep, rolling closer to the brunette. Takuya froze. He didn't want to wake or startle her. However, at the same time, he couldn't just leave her in this state. After debating for another moment, he went into the bathroom. He took a facecloth out of the bathroom closet, then ran it under cold water. Returning to her side, he placed it on her forehead, moving her hair out of the way.

Zoe's eyes opened slightly. "Takuya?"

"Dammit, I kinda hoping you would stay asleep," he said, a half-smile on his face.

"Yeah, well, when someone puts an ice cold cloth on your head, tell me how well you can sleep," she replied, returning his smile.

"Are you kidding? I can sleep through just about anything," he bragged.

Zoe raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really?"

Takuya rubbed the back of his neck. "Well.....almost anything. J.P. snores pretty damn loud."

"I'll take your word for it." She shifted slightly, pulling the covers all the way up to her chin.

"Aren't you hot?" He asked.

"My head feels like it's on fire, but at the same time the rest of my body is freezing," she said.

Takuya sighed. "You probably have a fever or something. Let me go get a thermometer."

He found one in the bathroom cabinet, after ripping the closet apart. "Finally."

Zoe put it in her mouth and waited a few seconds. When the little beep went off, she took it and tried to read it.

"My eyes are too blurry to make this out. Can you tell me what it says?" She asked.

Takuya took the thermometer and looked at it, his heart sinking. "One-hundred and five degrees."

"That's not good," Zoe said, slightly shivering.

Takuya was torn between what he wanted to do. He longed to hold her, but he was afraid that she would think that he was trying to take advantage of her. Especially now, where she was so vulnerable. So he restrained himself. For now at least.

"Here, let me get you some water." He quickly entered the bathroom, then found a clean glass on the sink. After filling it with cold water, he went back to Zoe's bedside.

"Thank you," she said gratefully. "Don't know what I would do without you."

Takuya swallowed. Maybe it's just the fever getting to her, he thought. She's not thinking straight at this point.

Zoe struggled to sit up, wincing in pain as she did so. Takuya put his hand beneath her head and held the glass to her lips.

"I feel like a baby," she said before taking a sip. "Not used to this, you know?"

"I know what you mean," he replied as she drank. "I wouldn't like it, but that's just me."

Zoe finished her sip, then shook her head. "I don't like to be waited on either. Not that I don't appreciate it."

He smirked. "If I don't who will?"

Zoe chuckled. "No one."

Takuya regretted saying that, and Zoe could see it in his face.

"Don't feel bad. It's true. But it really doesn't even bother me."

"I still shouldn't have said it, though." Takuya looked away, ashamed.

Zoe gently took his hand. "It's okay. Really."

Takuya still felt terrible about it. "Do you want me to get you some soup?"

She shook her head. "No thanks. I'm not hungry."

"Too bad. I'm going to make you some soup, and you're going to like it, dammit!"

"Alright, alright. Jeez," she feigned annoyance. "If you must insist."

Takuya was about to stand up, when Zoe suddenly grabbed his arm. Confused, he sank back down.

"What is it?"

Zoe looked like she was debating something, for she seemed hesitant to tell him.

"Umm......never mind." She released him. "Sorry."

Before he could ask, she rolled onto her side, facing away from him.

"Everything okay?" Takuya asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Okay. I'll be back in a few minutes with that soup." He left the room, closing the door softly behind him.

Zoe wiped a tear off her face. What the hell was coming over her? She barely knew him, yet she was about to pull him down into a kiss.

"Dammit," she muttered.

_In the kitchen_

As Takuya waited for the chicken noodle soup to heat up on the stove, his mind was going a mile minute. He didn't know what was going on with his head. He couldn't stop thinking about her.

"This is fucking crazy," he said to himself. "I'm losing it. I swear to god, I'm friggen losing it."

He stirred, hoping that he wouldn't screw the soup up. The microwave was as far as his cooking talents went. Focus, he thought. Remember what you're here for. You came here to rob the bastard, then screw and never come back. Falling in love was not part of the plan. Things usually never went the way he planned, though.

As he waited, his mind wandered again, pulling him back into his dark past. He tried to think about other things, anything but those troubled memories. They began to play through his mind, as if it had only been yesterday.......

_Five years ago_

_"Takuya! Hurry up! We're hungry in here!"_

_Takuya quickly scrambled to put something together, but he didn't know how to cook. Hearing their irritated yells from the other room, he made some toast along with a few strips of bacon. It wasn't much, but it would have to do._

_He shakily carried the tray into the other room, where his mother and her new boyfriend were sitting. His mother had divorced that guy from Vegas within two weeks from coming back from their trip. He was now in jail for five counts of domestic violence. The new guy's name was Eddie, and he wasn't much better. A cigarette hang loosely between his mother's lips, as he rarely saw her without one. Eddie was carefully examining a small bag containing a fine white powder. Takuya knew too well what its contents were, as he learned what it was by the age of nine._

_"Dinner's ready." He set the tray down on the coffee table in front of them._

_"You made us bacon and toast?! What kind of dinner is this?" His mother angrily complained._

_Takuya's cheeks heated up. "I don't know how to cook. It was the best that I could do, sorry."_

_Eddie flung the tray across the room. "Get your ass in the kitchen and make us some real food!"_

_"NO!"_

_The man stood up. "No? You better march back into that kitchen or they'll be problems."_

_"You know what, you guys can go fuck yourself! Make your own damn food." With that Takuya bolted out the front door._

_"Get back here, you little bastard!" He heard them yell._

_He continued to run. This was becoming more and more common as the days went on. He stayed at Kouji's and Kouichi's so much, he felt as though he needed to start paying rent._

_Their shouts died down as he expanded the distance between them. For him, it was the greatest relief in the world._

The small pot began to bubble over, broth cascading down the sides. Takuya snapped back into reality.

"Shit!" He turned the stove off, then looked at the contents inside. "Uh...soup's ready I guess."

**wow, im tired. really tired. im gonna go take a nap. hope you liked this chapter. see ya until next time. bye :]**


	14. Chapter 14

**alright, so the guys aren't the most intelligent people in the world right now. but at least they had fun being stupid. but anyway, let's get back to the story. enjoy!**

**The Darker Side of Me**

**Chapter 14**

Thomas Kingston looked at the four friends, a sneer on his face. The twins had passed out after they had finished doodling on the fat one's face. They were sleeping soundly, their snores annoying the tied up man. Kouji had had fallen asleep against a bookshelf, while Kouichi was lying upside down on one the couches. A bit of drool dripped from his open mouth. Tommy and J.P. were in the same positions as when they had passed out.

"Idiots." He tried to shift his hands beneath him, managing to move them slightly. "Can't anything go fucking right?"

A moment later, he felt something brush up against his fingers. He wrapped one of his hands around it, then used the fingers of his other hand to feel what it was. He realized, to his amazement, that it was one of the darts. A smirk spread across his face as realization swept over. It may not have been the best thing in the world, but it would get the job done.

Kingston began to rock the chair back and forth. It was going to be extremely difficult to get off his back, but he knew it was only way. He wasn't too concerned about waking the drunken idiots in front of him. They were stupid enough to get shit-faced and pass out in the first place. He was more worried about that Takuya kid walking in on him. On that note, he rocked more forcefully. Finally, he heaved himself to the side with all his might. It teetered for a second, but then the chair crashed onto its side after a moment. Kingston grinned, then began to work as fast as he could.

"Those bastards will never know what hit 'em."

_In Zoe's bedroom_

Takuya propped one of Zoe's pillows behind her back to help her sit up.

"Is that alright, or do you need another pillow?" He asked.

"No, I'm fine." She looked down at her bowl of soup and smiled. "Looks good."

"I know, I really outdid myself," Takuya joked.

Zoe took a bite, ignoring the fact that it was a bit more mushy than it should have been. "Mmm, it's pretty good."

Takuya nodded, getting lost in her emerald eyes. Even when she was sick, those green orbs seemed to have a sparkle in them. Zoe suddenly put the bowl down on the nightstand.

"Is everything okay?" He asked.

Zoe swallowed. "Bathroom."

Takuya quickly helped her out of bed and guided her to the bathroom. As soon as she was close enough to the toilet, Zoe began to vomit. Takuya pulled her blond hair out of her face and held onto it. A minute later, she was done. Takuya ran to get her cup of water, then handed it to her. Zoe took a sip, swishing it around her mouth. She then spit it into the toilet and flushed.

Takuya pulled her up, while she swished around another mouthful of water. She spit it into the sink, repeating a few more times, trying to get rid of the horrible taste in her mouth. When she had finished, she sank back onto the floor and laid on her side.

"Shit." Takuya knelt beside her and cradled her in his arms. "We need to get you to a hospital."

"No, I'm fine." There were tears in her eyes. Real attractive, she thought to herself. You throw up right in front of a gorgeous guy....

"Like hell you are," he said.

Zoe sighed. "Yeah, but there's no way to get there. It's still pouring out, and the last thing we want to do is draw attention."

Takuya raised an eyebrow. "Zoe, you're not involved with what the guys and I did."

"I am now. I beat the hell out of that bastard, so therefore, I'm involved."

"Well....can't argue with that, I guess." Takuya picked her up and she laid her head against his shoulder, burying her face in his chest.

"Ugh....I feel like I got hit by a bus......" Zoe said.

The brunette laid her down on the bed and sat down beside her. "How's your stomach?"

"My stomach's not so bad. I still don't want to try to eat again, though. It's mainly my head at this point," she replied.

Takuya placed the facecloth back on her forehead. Zoe looked up at him, taking his hand gently.

"You gonna be okay?" He asked.

"I'll live."

"Good. I wouldn't want anything to happen to you....." His voice trailed off.

Zoe smiled. "Thanks...." She sqeezed his hand a little tighter. "Feels good to be cared about......"

Takuya hesitated for a moment, then gave her a soft kiss on the lips. He didn't care anymore, and even if he did, he didn't know if he would have been able to control it. She knew that he wanted her, as she craved him. He laid on his side next to her, pulling her into his arms. Zoe rested her head against his muscular chest. Her arms were wrapped around his waist, one of her hands bumping into something.

"Careful. That's my gun," Takuya warned. "Last thing I need right now is to get my ass blown off."

"I'm not _that _clumsy. Jeez," Zoe rolled her eyes. "Besides, I sure the safety's on."

"I know you're not clumsy." He held onto her tighter. "But you know, every now and again freak accidents can happen."

_In the living room_

Kingston was working like mad, using the pointed tip of the dart to cut through the ropes. It was grueling work, and his arms ached after only a few minutes. However, little by little, he was getting closer to his freedom.

"Just a little bit more," he said, between gritted teeth.

They would be sorry they ever messed with him. The rope broke loose a moment later.

**i know, it's a little shorter than normal, but that's okay. the next chapter will be longer. besides, it was a nice little break to end it more quickly. the suspense is going up again. :] hope you liked this chapter, and remember, please review.**


	15. Chapter 15

**The Darker Side of Me**

**Chapter 15**

_Crash!_

Kouichi tumbled off the couch, slamming his head on the floor.

"Ow! Motherfucker!" He rubbed his forehead.

Kouji rolled over and yawned. "What the hell........?"

"I fell off the couch."

"Oh. In that case I'm going back to sleep." Kouji rolled over onto his other side.

Kouichi heaved himself back onto the couch, casting a quick glance across the room. He yawned and closed his eyes, getting himself into a comfortable position. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open.

"Shit!"

Kingston's chair was on its side, the ropes hanging around it. Kingston, however, was no where to be found.

Kouichi shook Kouji. "Get up! He's gone. Get the hell up."

"Wha...? Who's gone?" He sat up.

"Kingston's gone." Kouichi began to shake Tommy and J.P. as well. "Guys, get up. Kingston escaped."

They bolted awake, vigorously rubbing their eyes.

"He's gone? How?" J.P. looked at the chair, realizing that Kouichi was right. "Oh, shit."

"What are we gonna do?" Tommy asked.

"I'm gonna find Takuya. He's going to kill us, though." Kouji set off the find the gogglehead.

Kouichi drew his gun. "We've gotta find Kingston, or else we're screwed. Be careful though, he might be armed."

Tommy and J.P. nodded, getting their own guns out. They clicked the safeties off.

_Three years ago_

_"Mr. Kanbara, I'm afraid I'm going to have to fail you for the year."_

_Takuya stared at his history teacher, shocked. "Fail? Why, what'd I do?"_

_"Young man, you come here late every day, and your work is usually only half finished. The half that you actually do get done, is almost always wrong anyway. So, I want you to take a summer course to help you for when I see you again, next year._

_Takuya went numb. He was going to have to repeat the tenth grade? Was it his fault how everytime he tried to leave for school, his mother kept him late to help her clean up the drunken mess she had made the night before? Was it his fault that whenever he tried to get his homework done, either his mother or one of those assholes she was dating barged into the room and ripped it apart, thinking he was stealing the drugs they had misplaced? Was it his fucking fault that he was too tired to study because he had spent four hours cleaning up the place so that it wouldn't be mistaken for the crack-house that it was? No. And now this jackass wanted to fail him because his life sucked?_

_Takuya's eyes went dark as he turned to leave._

_"Mr. Kanbara, I'm not done talking to you!" His teacher said._

_Takuya turned slightly and glared at him. "There's nothing to talk about. I quit."_

_"Quit? What do you mean?"_

_"I'm quitting school, dammit. I'm sick and tired of this living hell day in and day out," he hissed._

_His teacher smirked. "You are only a child. Your life couldn't possibly be that bad. Some day when you're in the real world, you'll learn what a hard days work really is."_

_Takuya suddenly turned and punched the man in the face. "You have no idea what kind of life I've gone through for these past sixteen fucking years!"_

_"I could have you arrested for hassassment!" His teacher was holding onto his swelling jaw._

_"Go ahead. I don't fucking care anymore." Takuya stormed out, hearing his teacher trying to get in touch with the school police._

_Takuya made his way to the parking lot and noticed the man's car. He punched the window open, spiling glass all throughout the car. Unlocking the door from the inside, he slipped into the driver's seat after brushing it off. Within a minute, he had hotwired the vehicle and was driving away from the school. It was at that point where everything had started._

"Takuya! Where the hell are you? It's an emergency."

Takuya snapped back into reality and ran out to see Kouji running down the hallway. He looked worried.

"What's going on?" Takuya asked.

"Come on, follow me!" His friend took off.

Takuya ran after him, confused. What could have happened?

"Look," Kouji said when they got to the living room.

When Takuya saw what he was referring to, his eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. "How the fuck did he escape?!"

"Um.....well......you see......" Kouichi's voice trailed off.

Takuya began to strangle him. "What did you do?!"

"Can't breathe......"

Takuya released him, then began to pace around nervously. "Can someone please tell me what happened?"

Kouji looked down, ashamed. "We were bored, so we decided to play darts. Then we found some vodka and tried to make the game more interesting."

His friend stared at him. "That's great, but that still doesn't tell me how he got out with the four of you keeping watch."

"I'm getting to that." Kouji sighed. "You see, things kinda got outta hand. We ended up overdoing it on the alcohol and got shit-faced....."

"And you passed out, huh?" Takuya looked like he was going to kill his friends, but decided against it. "But how did he get loose? I tied a knot that would have been too tight for him to be able to undo it."

Tommy looked down at the discarded ropes, his face filling with surprise. "They've been cut."

"Cut? How did he get his hands on an object that could cut him out?" Takuya wondered. He then noticed a dart near the chair. "You idiots, he used one of the darts."

J.P. sighed. "Look, we're really sorry-"

Takuya cut him off. "Don't be sorry. Just help me find him. This might have fucked us over," he grumbled.

"Where should we look?" Tommy asked.

"Um....do it how we did it earlier, when we went through the rooms to take his stuff. Kouji and Kouichi can look on the third floor, and you can go with J.P. to second floor. I'll stay on this floor with Zoe......Shit! I left her alone!" He stormed off.

"We better go with him," Kouichi said, running after him.

The other three followed suit as Takuya sprinted down the hallway. He barged into the room, slamming the door into the wall.

"Zoe!"

She wasn't in her bed. Takuya quickly checked in the bathroom to find it empty as well. His heart sank.

"Shit! The bastard's got her." He sank down onto her bed. "I left her alone........."

"Takuya, snap out of it! If we have any chance of getting her back, we have to work fast," Kouji said.

"You're right." Takuya stood up, pulling his gun out of his jeans. "Rip the house apart until you find her."

The others nodded, then rushed off to their designated floors. Takuya's eyes darkened with rage as he stalked out of the deserted room.

_Elsewhere in the house_

"It won't be long now," Kingston hissed.

He was holding a gun against the side of Zoe's head, his finger on the trigger.

"If you scream, you're brains will be splattered all over the place by the time they get here. And then, I'm going to kill them as well, one by one."

Zoe's heart was pounding so hard she thought it would burst. .

"So it you want to scream, by all means, be my guest," he whispered into her ear.

Zoe jerked her head away from his hot, rancid breath. Tears welled in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Not this time, she thought to herself. I won't give him that satisfation.

"Consider yourself lucky that I decided not to tie you up. I figured that it would be funner this way. You know, just in case I want to give you a head start." He clicked the safety off. "Let's see how long it takes for them to find us."

The blond was shaking slightly, but managed to keep most of her composure. There were five guys against one, so the odds had to be somewhat in their favor. Of course, Kingston was crazy enough to do anything, including blowing their heads off, one at a time.

Zoe swallowed and hoped for the best. She didn't have a choice at this point.

**yay! im done with this chapter. hope you guys like it. read and review, cuz your reviews make me feel special ^_^ and not suckish. chapter 16 comes out tomorrow, if its done by then, which it should be cuz i don't have anything better to do right now.**


	16. Chapter 16

**I'd like to thank everyone who has taken the time to review my story so far. it is greatly appreciated and makes me super happy without the need of alcohol.......naw, just kidding X_X**

**The Darker Side of Me**

**Chapter 16**

"Did you find them?" Takuya shouted up to the second floor.

"No, not yet. We'll let you know if we find anything," J.P. yelled back down.

"Alright."

Takuya had already gone through every room on the first floor. He searched through closets, and looked in every single spot he could find that would have been big enough to fit a person. So far he had come up empty-handed.

"Dammit," he muttered, running his hand through his hair. "Where the hell could they have gone?"

_On the third floor_

Kouji ripped one of the rooms apart, looking for any type of clue where Kingston had taken Zoe. His brother was across the hall doing the same.

"You find anything yet?" Kouji asked.

"No, still looking, though," Kouichi responded.

Kouji shook his head. Sure, the house was big, but it shouldn't have been too hard. Things weren't looking too bright for them, however. It had been nearly forty-five minutes by now. They just had to keep looking. Zoe's life depended on it.

_Elsewhere_

Kingston impatiently tapped his fingers against the wall. He had a plan worked out in his head, yet he was getting tired of waiting for them to finally show up. Meanwhile, Zoe was lying on the floor, unconscious. Her fever was getting steadily worse, and her breathing had become shallow. Nightmares plagued her mind, haunting her very soul. There was no escape from her past.

_Seven years ago_

_School was one of her most hated places to be. It wasn't so much the schoolwork, or strict teachers, but more so the students. She could here them whispering as she walked past them, taunting her, laughing at her. No matter how hard she tried, their harsh words echoed in her mind._

_"There's that weird italitan girl."_

_"Did you hear that her parents died a year ago? Heard that their car flipped over......"_

_"I don't know why she's even here. It's not like she has any family around here."_

_"Shhh. She'll hear you."_

_"She doesn't have any friends. I mean, she sits by herself every day. What a loser....."_

_Zoe clenched her teeth behind her sealed lips. She wouldn't let their teasing get to her. No one knew a damn thing about her, so who were they to judge her? They were nothing but drones. They didn't have personalities of their own, but simply copied what they saw. The hardest thing they had ever experienced was getting a bad report card, or breaking their cell phones. Stupid stuff like that. Someday, hopefully, they would realize how pampered and useless they were. _

_"Heads up, loser!"_

_Zoe suddenly ducked, a football missing her by mere inches._

_"Dammit! Why'd you tell her? That would have been hilarious."_

_The blond took a deep breath, quickening her pace slightly. The school bell rang, signaling that class would begin soon. Students rushed past her in a stampede, talking loudly amongst themselves. Just then, Zoe felt herself being shoved. She fell forward, landing on her knees, skinning them. Mud splashed on her and stained her outfit._

_"Why don't you watch where you're going, weirdo," a boy sneered as he walked past her._

_Zoe knelt there for a few minutes, tears threatening to spill. Hold yourself together, she thought to herself. Ignore them. They're nothing but idiots and even they know it._

_She rose, brushing the mud away as best as she could. Zoe hesitated for another minute or so, then headed into the intimidating building. Another day, another hellish nightmare._

Zoe stirred, a soft moan escaping her. Kingston looked at her, aggravated. He grabbed a handful of her hair, pulling her up.

"Let me go!" She snapped awake, trying to wrench herself from his grasp.

He jammed the barrel of the gun into her forehead. "I won't hesitate to shoot you."

"Go ahead! Do you honestly think I even care anymore at this point?" She hissed. "I mean, you've already stolen two months of my life. Why not finish the job? Put me out of my fucking misery."

Kingston smirked. "But, my dear, I'm afraid that I enjoy it too much. You should consider yourself lucky that you've lasted this long. The one before you only made it to the third week."

"You sick bastard!" Zoe yanked her hair from his grip. "I wouldn't worry, though. You'll get what's coming to you."

"Oh, really?" He gave a small chuckle. "And how could you possibly make that assumption?"

She stared at him, her eyes darkening. "I know this because I'm the one that's going to send you over the edge."

"Don't make me laugh," he said, slamming her into the wall.

There was something in that look she gave him, however. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something in her eyes sent a chill down his spine.

"What's going to happen?" He taunted. "I can already tell you. Those morons are going to show up, and they'll have the privilege of watching you die. And as soon as your blood splatters on the walls, I'm going to take them down as well. They're going to be too in shock to realize that I'm shooting at them, anyway."

"Think what you want," Zoe said coldly. "I wouldn't underestimate them, though."

Kingston shook his head, laughing at her remark. What was there to underestimate? They were nothing but a bunch of drunken idiots that were stupid enough to let him escape. He had this in the bag.

Zoe cast a glance at the stairway leading up to the kitchen. Her eyes widened. "Guys, watch out!"

Kingston whipped his head around, surprised. Zoe took the opportunity to bite his wrist as hard as she could. Her teeth sank deep into his flesh, causing him to shriek in pain. He dropped his gun, trying to get the blond to release him. Blood rained onto the concrete floor, puddling around Kingston's feet.

"Get the fuck off me, you bitch." He punched in the side of her head.

Zoe held tight, however, refusing to loosen her grip. She could taste the metalic flavor of his blood fill her mouth, almost gagging on it. Kingston continued to scream, tears running down his face as she bit through the muscles.

Zoe could hear the guys running overhead, their footsteps echoing through the hallway. They had heard the man's anguished screams.

"GET OFF!" He grabbed her around the throat.

"Zoe!" Takuya called down as he descended the steps.

A moment later, Takuya and his friends came face to face with a blood-splattered room. They were in the same exact room that Kingston used for a torture chamber. The room where Takuya had first discovered Zoe, on the brink of death. Crimson stains covered both Kingston and Zoe, who were struggling with each other.

"Shoot him!" Kouji said.

"Wait!" Takuya shouted, afraid of hurting Zoe.

However, a shot rang out and there was a yelp. It took a second for them to realize who had been hit.

**alright. okay........i had a slight case of writer's block. it may not have been the best chapter, but i think it at least got the point through. and i got sick of waiting for something to happen. so brace yourself for chapter 17, coming soon ^_^ r and r please.**


	17. Chapter 17

**alrighty then. here's when it gets sick and disturbing. you have been warned. **

**The Darker Side of Me**

**Chapter 17**

Kingston and Zoe both collapsed to the floor.

Takuya was about to run to the blond, only to be restrained by Kouichi.

"Be careful," Kouichi warned.

Blood was gushing from Kingston's leg. The bullet had shattered his kneecap, and shards of bone could be seen poking from the wound. His screams pierced their eardrums. Zoe scrambled away from him, spitting out a mouthful of blood. She fell into Takuya's open arms.

"You okay?" He asked, scanning his eyes over her.

"I'm alright," she replied, trying to catch her breath.

Tommy tilted his head. "So, what do we do with him?"

Kingston was clutching onto his leg, horrified by the damage. "You fucking assholes! Look what you fucking did to me! I'll kill you!" Spittle shot from his mouth in a crimsom foam.

"I honestly don't even know right now." J.P. shook his head in shock.

"I do." Zoe walked over to the wounded man and crouched in front of him. "My, how the tables have turned."

Takuya had a feeling that he knew what she was getting at. "Guys, go upstairs and keep yourselves busy. Zoe and I will take care of this."

"Awwwwwwww......why do you guys get all the fun?" J.P. asked.

Takuya shot him a look. "Just do as I say."

"Fine." J.P. began to make his way upstairs with the other three close behind.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Kouji said, a smirk on his face.

"Well in that case......." Takuya's voice trailed off.

Kouji shook his head. A moment later they were out of the room, closing the door behind them.

Takuya dragged Kingston over to an empty table and heaved him onto it.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Kingston screeched. "Let me go!"

The brunette ignored him as he began to shackle him down. On the table top were four small metal rings, each one used to close around a wrist or an ankle, rendering the prisoner helpless. There was one more, larger than the others. It was used to be fastened around the neck. When he was done, Takuya stood back.

"Let me go, you stupid shit." Kingston tried to move, though his attempts proved to be unsuccessful.

Zoe walked over to him and stared him in the face, her emerald eyes boring into him. "This is not only for all the times you tortured me, but also for all the times someone else treated me like I was nothing. What I'm about to do to you will make you wish you never grabbed me off the sidewalk that night. You'll wish you never drugged me, beat the hell out of me, then throw me down into this godforsaken room. Not only will I picture in my mind what you've done to me, but also what was done to me by almost every single person I've ever encountered."

Kingston swallowed, then glanced at Takuya. "What about you? Huh? What the hell have I ever done to you?"

"You hurt Zoe," he replied nonchalantly. "And you had the nerve to hit her right in front of me, so right there gives me the motivation." On that note, he proceeded to slam his fist down onto Kingston's shattered knee.

Kingston's screams echoed off the walls, ringing in their ears.

Zoe cast a look at Takuya. "Well, I gave you a fair warning. If I wasn't going to hurt myself, then I would hurt someone else." She grabbed a bottle of alcohol.

Takuya shrugged. "Fair enough. I think after everything we've both gone through, we deserve some revenge of our own. Personally, I'm going to think about the past ten years of my life." Before Zoe could ask, he added, "I'll explain later."

Zoe nodded in understanding, uncapping the bottle. She began to tilt it over Kingston.

"Wouldn't want to get an infection, now would we?" She poured it over his destroyed knee, enjoying the sounds of his shrieks. "Now, now. I'm only looking out for you," she taunted, using his own words against him.

"Here, Zoe. You missed a spot." Takuya guided her hand and helped her tilt the bottle directly over his face.

"FUCK!!!!!" Kingston fused his eyes shut as the liquid poured over him. The last thing he wanted was any of that stuff in his eyes. Unfortunately, he couldn't keep out every single drop. "MY EYES! IT FUCKING BURNS!" He was flailing around as wildly as he could.

Zoe recapped the bottle, then set it down. Without saying a word, Takuya pulled a knife from his pocket. While Kingston was still screaming, Takuya slammed the blade down, hacking off one of the man's fingers.

He screamed louder than ever. "YOU FUCKING BASTARD!!!! YOU CUT OFF MY FUCKING FINGER!!!! ARE YOU CRAZY?!?!"

Takuya repeated the process nine times. When he was finished, he grabbed a nearby rag and wiped the blade clean.

Zoe looked a little nauseous, but she picked up a hammer nonetheless. She was shaking slightly. Takuya noticed and wrapped his arm around her.

"It's okay. Just remember what he did to you for those two months. Use that against him. Use everything that's ever happened to you. Think about how everyone's treated you in your life. Did you deserve it? No, but they didn't care. Concentrate," he whispered in her ear.

Zoe smirked, regaining her composure. She slammed the hammer into his other knee, shattering that one as well. She ignored his shrieks as she pounded down on his chest, stomach, arms, legs, everywhere she could. Kingston could feel some of his ribs splintering inside him, poking into his vital organs. He hacked up mouthfuls of blood.

"You sick freaks!" He rasped. "You're no better than the people who made your lives a living hell!"

"Of course we are," Takuya retorted. "You see, they had no reason to shit on us. At least we have a reason when it comes to you."

For the next ten minutes, Kingston was consumed in his own hell, the pain overtaking his body. Despite Zoe's strong desire for revenge, Takuya could see how upset she was getting. He knew the guilt was beginning to wear on her.

"You okay?" He asked, brushing her hair out of her face.

Zoe nodded, her eyes cast down. "Yeah, I'm just not used to doing stuff like this......"

"Well, it's not every day where you dismember a person on an act of revenge," Takuya said with a laugh.

Kingston was barely moving at this point. All of his fingers had been cut off, as well as his right leg, courtesy of a hacksaw. Most of his teeth had been knocked out, and his face was bruised beyond recognition. Three knives were protruding out of his bloodied chest, the handles rising and falling with each breath he gasped.

Takuya pulled his gun out and pointed it at the dying man.

"See you in hell." A moment later he pulled the trigger. The left side of Kingston's head blew open in a bloody explosion. His brains oozed out of the side, where pieces of it plopped to the floor.

Zoe buried her face in Takuya's chest and began to sob. Takuya wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight.

"It's over, " he whispered into her ear, stroking her hair gently.. "It's finally over."

The blond looked up at him, tears running down her face. She smiled, then pulled him down to kiss him. Takuya returned the kiss, letting his tongue softly run over hers, tasting the sweetness of her lips.

"Come on, let's get out of here." Takuya took her hand and began to lead her upstairs.

They gave one last look at the dead man, Zoe squeezing his hand more tightly. Takuya gave her a reassuring smile, then tugged for her to follow. Kingston would rot down there for all eternity, allowing the rats to consume his decaying remains.

**nope! its not done yet. still need another chapter or two to wrap things up a bit better. hope you liked this chapter. if you did, then yay. if you didn't......well then, ill just pretend that you did. i can live in my own fantasy world if i want to, dammit! anyway, chapter 18 is already in the works. bye for now**


	18. Chapter 18

**The Darker Side of Me**

**Chapter 18**

"What the hell happened down there?" Kouji asked.

Takuya and Zoe were using wet paper towels to dab away the blood covering their clothes and skin.

"Let's just say he won't be giving us any more trouble," Takuya replied, not looking up.

Zoe remained silent as she scrubbed at her shirt. A moment later she discarded the bloodied paper towel for a new one.

"What did you do to him, though?" Kouichi asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"Go take a look." Takuya wiped specks of blood off his face.

His friends hesitated for a minute, then cautiously crept down the stairs.

"Holy shit!" They heard J.P. shout. "You blew his fucking head off?!"

"I don't know. You tell me," Takuya replied.

The four of them ascended the stairs, stepping back into the kitchen. They were shaking their heads in disbelief.

"Damn.........." Tommy sank down into a chair.

"It's not like you've never seen a body before," Takuya pointed out.

"I know, but still........." Tommy's voice trailed off.

"It had to be done," Zoe said softly. "We would've regretted it if we didn't."

The others nodded in understanding.

Kouji opened the fridge and took out a six-pack of beer. "Yeah, he seemed really fucked in the head. Probably would've tracked us down or something."

He handed everyone a can, then took a long gulp out of his.

Everyone but Takuya and Zoe drank from theirs.

"Hey, can you come with me?" The gogglehead asked her.

"Sure." Zoe stood up and followed him out of the kitchen.

"Use a condom!" J.P. shouted after them.

"Dude, shut up!" Takuya called back.

Zoe surpressed a laugh as they made their way to Takuya's room.

"Wow, first time I've actually gone to your room," the blond remarked.

"Yeah." Takuya sat on the bed, gently pulling her down next to him. "Alright, as I promised, I'll tell you about the past ten years of my life."

Zoe noticed his hesitation. "Take your time. Not like we're going anywhere." She glanced outside, where it was still pouring.

Takuya sighed. "When I was nine, my dad took off and abandoned me and my mom. He claimed that he wasn't a good enough husband and father, and that we deserved better. Honestly, I think it was just because he didn't want the responsibility anymore. One night he just got up and left, and I haven't seen or heard from him since. My mom took it horribly and began to drink. She started hooking up with these shady guys and about three months later, she got into drugs. She wasn't always a bad mother though. You know, she cleaned, made sure there was food on the table, tried her best to make sure I had everything I needed. But after that asswipe father of mine left, things started to go downhill." He paused, taking a deep breath.

Zoe waited patiently for him to continue, giving him a reassuring smile.

"Anyway, she started to neglect me and would pick her boyfriends over me, even though most of them beat her. I got beat up myself on a few occasions trying to protect her. Eventually I gave up on it. In the end, no matter how many times they knocked her out, she still took their sides. She called me ungrateful, lazy, pretty much anything she could think of. School was no easy ride, either. I was always late, my homework was never finished, and I usually got low grades. It wasn't because I was stupid or anything. But I would be so busy trying to clean up the house or taking care of my mother, that school could never become a main priority. Then one day, this asshole teacher of mine decided to hold me back a year, claiming that I was lazy and didn't know what life was really like. So, I punched him, then stole his car. Two days later I had officially dropped out of school. Kouji, Kouichi, Tommy and J.P. didn't have the easiest time either. None of them had it as bad as I did, but they were getting pretty sick of it all. And I guess that's where everything started. They dropped out, too, then we found a run-down house and renovated it. My violent nature comes from constantly being betrayed, so that gave me motivation to steal from people. I hurt them if they put up a fight and, in some cases, I killed them." Takuya stopped, burying his face in his hands. "I'm not proud of it, but at that point, I really didn't see many options for me. I sold drugs and I would regularly go into stores and just steal shit. Then I would sell whatever I didn't want to keep for myself, which wasn't much."

"You know that I understand, right? I mean, I had a shitty life, but in a different way. Yours seemed worse than mine," Zoe said.

Takuya looked at her and shook his head. "No, because at least when I went through a tough time, I had the guys supporting me. You didn't have anyone to help you. I don't know why, though. You're sweet, and gorgeous, and I feel like I would do anything for you........"

Zoe laid her head on his shoulder, wrapping her arms around his waist. "I'm going to miss you."

"What do you plan on doing when this is all over?" Takuya asked, holding her against his chest.

"I don't know. I don't know if I even want to bother with college or anything. There is really nothing I care about, so I don't have any motivation." She sighed. "What are you guys going to do?"

Takuya smiled. "We planned out everything before we got here. After we leave, we're going to move far away, to a place where no one knows about us. We have millions of dollars from Kingston now, so we can start a new life. I'm never returning to this area again, but I might try to get my mother some help. I haven't seen her in a few years, so I don't know how she's doing nowadays."

"Sounds nice," she said.

"Hey, wait a minute." Takuya's eyes lit up. "Why don't you come with us?"

Zoe raised an eyebrow. "Go with you?"

"Yeah, why not? What have you got to lose?" He asked.

She looked down. "I don't know. What will your friends think?"

"Them? Who cares? I overrule them anyway. Besides, they like you, and they might want to keep you around to cook _real _food."

"Oh, so you only want me around to cook, huh?" She gave him a playful smile.

"No, you're good company to have around." Takuya gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. "Trust me, whereever I go, I really want you to come with me."

"Alright, alright. I'll go. Well, then, let's go break the news to your friends," she said, rising.

"Okay." He pulled her into another kiss. A moment later they left the room in search of his friends.

**almost done. one more chapter coming up and that will be the end of this story. can't wait :] chapter 19 is coming soon. byez and let me know if you liked the chapter. hope it wasn't too corny.**


	19. Chapter 19

**here it is. the final chapter. enjoy! :]**

**The Darker Side of Me**

**Chapter 19**

"What the hell? We've been gone for ten minutes and you're already getting drunk?"

Takuya's friends had decided to raid Kingston's mini bar and were starting to feel the effects.

"Thiz guy has gooooood taste!" Kouichi finished the mixed drink he had poured himself.

"Not no more. He dead now," Kouji replied, trying to see if there was any more beer in the bottom of his can without picking it up.

"I don't believe this." Takuya smacked himself in the face in annoyance. "Only you guys......"

"Well, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em." Zoe handed Takuya a bottle of peppermint flavored alcohol.

Takuya looked at it, laughed, then handed it back to her. "That's a girly drink. Here's what a real man drinks." He opened a bottle of straight-up vodka and took a swig. "Besides, aren't you a little too sick to be drinking?"

"After today, I need one.........." Zoe said, rubbing her temple. "Besides, I'm feeling a little better. I guess revenge does that to a person."

"Does a real man sleep with a teddy bear?" J.P. loudly chimed in, tripping over a chair.

"You guys framed me! I know it was Kouji who put it next to me, and then Kouichi took a picture of it," Takuya said angrily.

Tommy finished his beer and tossed the can to the corner of the room. "I'll clean it later......." His voice trailed off as he fumbled to open the tab of a new can.

"Don't bother. As soon as this rain stops, we're outta here." Takuya took another long gulp, feeling its warmth travel down his throat.

Zoe took a shot of the peppermint alcohol, wincing as it burned. "Damn.......you guys drink this stuff like it's water........"

"This _is_ my water," Takuya said with a smirk. "Oh, guys. I have some good news."

"You had sex?!" J.P. shouted from inside the fridge.

"No, dumbass. And get out of the friggen fridge. You couldn't have gotten that drunk within ten minutes......especially at that size."

"Shut up! And yes I am that DRUNK."

Takuya shook his head. "Whatever. Anyway, I decided that Zoe can come with us."

"If it's okay with you guys," Zoe quickly added.

"That's cool." Kouji was staring off into space.

"Maybe we should tell them when they're sober," Zoe said.

The brunette took another swig. "There wouldn't be a difference."

Zoe shrugged and the six of them continued to drink, until finally they all passed out. Tommy was on top of the table, while Kouichi was under it. J.P. had fallen asleep partially in the fridge, the door hanging open as he blocked it from closing. Kouji was in the corner, clutching a bottle of whisky in a death-grip. Zoe had fallen asleep in Takuya's arms, clinging onto him tightly. They both had a smile on their face.

The next morning, the rain had finally subsided.

"Grab your stuff," Takuya told everyone. "We're leaving in five minutes. I wanna get the hell outta here before someone shows up." He was in the process of dumping cans of gasoline throughout the house.

"Owwwwwww.......my fucking head," Kouichi moaned.

"Well, that's what you get for playing three rounds of beer pong....."

"Who said we played with beer?" Kouji asked.

Takuya only shook his head, emptying the last of the can. "I already got the rest of the house covered, so all I gotta do is light this shit."

"Where the fuck did you find that stuff?" J.P. asked.

"Shed." Takuya twisted a sheet into a rope. "As soon as this goes off, get the fuck out. We only have a few minutes before it explodes."

"And we're burning the house down because......?" Tommy's voiced trailed off.

"Evidence. Our fingerprints are all throughout the house. We're fucked it they're identified," Takuya replied. "Is everyone ready yet?"

"Yup," the others said unanimously.

Takuya pulled a lighter out of his pocket, then lit one end of the sheet. He laid it down on the ground, the flame quickly making its way down to the other end.

"Get the hell out as fast as you can!" He grabbed Zoe's hand, pulling her along as he ran out the house.

"Where's Zoe gonna sit?" J.P. asked, running up behind them.

Takuya smirked. "My lap."

"How come you're the only one that gets any action around here?" He muttered.

"Just lucky, I guess."

A few seconds later they were traveling down the long driveway. Kouji pulled out of the gate, then continued down the main road. He drove at the fastest speed he could, without getting pulled over. In the distance they heard a loud explosive boom.

"All we have to do is cross over a few states, then we should be pretty safe," Takuya said. "Keep your eyes out for cops. They'll be showing up to the scene pretty damn soon."

Tommy looked out the window. "I think if we could survive being around that lunatic for so long, we can deal with anything."

"Still, it's better not to get cocky," Kouichi said quietly. He looked down at one of the envelopes he had found and began to count out the money it contained.

"After we get wherever we're going, and get a house or something, we should keep a low profile," Kouji added.

Zoe shifted on Takuya's lap, leaning her head against his chest. "It might be a good idea for us to get at least a part-time job. Just so no one gets suspicious," she added.

"Yeah, that's a good idea. But the best thing is, we have millions of dollars, so if we're smart about it, we'll be all set for awhile," Takuya said.

"As long as J.P. doesn't have a shopping spree at a grocery store," Tommy quipped.

J.P. shot him a look. "Ha ha. Make fun of the fat guy."

"Thought you said you were big-boned," Kouichi pointed out.

"I am. But I have a few pounds I could lose. I'm thinking about going on a diet."

Kouji smirked. "The twinkie diet doesn't count."

"Dude, you're an asshole," J.P. retorted.

"Shut up. We're all assholes, except Zoe. So there," Takuya remarked.

"I'm not an asshole!" J.P. said, aggrivated.

Kouji laughed. "Yeah, you're just a pain in the ass."

Tommy and Kouichi looked at each other and sighed as the other two continued to bicker.

"You got an aspirin or maybe ten, or something?" Kouichi asked.

Tommy handed him a white bottle. "Save me some. Hopefully I'll pass out and not have to listen to them."

Takuya was resting his head on top of Zoe's. He kissed her forehead, wrapping his arms around her tighter.

Zoe smiled up at him, snuggling against him. They didn't know what their future would hold for them. After years of torment, they were finally escaping their hellish nightmares. Wherever they ended up, Takuya and Zoe knew they would be much happier than ever. For the first time in their lives, they finally felt complete.

**finally! it's over! it's finally over! *takes a gulp from a bottle of vodka, then begins to choke* went down the wrong pipe! *collapses for thirty seconds, then regains composure* sorry about that. i wasn't exactly sure how to end it, so i hope it wasn't too disappointing, seeing how ending stories isn't my strong suit. i usually like to leave an opening for a sequel, in case i ever decide to write on. i probably won't, but i at least like to have the option. **

**the first chapter of my next story comes out in a few days. it will be based on the anime series Elfen Lied. it will be rated M for excessive violence, language, nudity (even though you aren't really there to witness it), not really sex, but there will be some touching. im changing some things around, so if you've seen the anime, don't flame me for it not being exactly the same. some names will be changed, main characters will be screwed around with, and im just making some things different. hope you enjoy it.........**


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